Kohima: The Wokha Forest Division captured thermal drone footage of wild elephants in Nagaland for the first time. The team tracked a herd of roughly 8 to 10 animals near Seluku village on the night of October 5. Dense canopy and darkness failed to hide the herd from the heat-seeking sensors. The thermal scans clearly marked the animals beneath the forest cover.
Range Forest Officer Lansothung Lotha led the mission. His team included Forest Guard Bibenthung Ngullie alongside community members Mhaden E Odyuo and W Nchumbemo Kikon. They performed a ground inspection of the field edges before launching the drone. Suman W M Sivachar, the Divisional Forest Officer, stated that the technology provides a vital edge. "Thermal monitoring gives the Forest Department an additional means of locating elephants under forest cover and tracking their movement, so that communities can be warned in time and areas of likely conflict identified in advance," he said.
The department immediately notified the Seluku village authorities and the Koio Village Council. They want residents to steer clear of the animals. Staff maintained a safe altitude to avoid upsetting the herd. This operation falls under the Forest and Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya Project, which receives funding from KfW. Training for frontline workers is currently underway to push this drone capability into other conflict zones.
Officials issued a strict public advisory. Do not chase or provoke the elephants. Keep away from fields at night and dusk. Anyone who spots the herd should call the Wildlife Control Room at 1800-2020-878 or contact the nearest forest office.
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