The dry land in Gir National Park and Wildlife Preserve, located near India western tip, is the proud — and only — home of the Asiatic lion. By the early 1900s, however, their populations had decreased for homo loss and hunting, leaving fewer than 50 known individuals alive. Though their numbers have risen over the past several decades — climbing to around 670 in 2020, a successful story — the lions are still considered endangered.
One of the biggest challenges to keep the lions' future is to track them, a hard work. Some animals, like tigers and zebras, have special coat patterns (图案) that provide useful marks to the researchers. But for the Asiatic lions, researchers must look elsewhere.
In 2019, Banerjee, who worked for Indias National Tiger Conservation Authority, developed an AI system to recognize the lions with high accuracy (精准). The AI program, SIMBA, has been applied in practice. "It will be a fantastic tool for long-term lion monitoring," says Banerjee. He adds, "It could help forest officials arrive at a more accurate estimate (评估) of Gir's lion population. In a few years, the group will have a rich collection of information — how many lions are male, female, how many will bear babies and how many are dead."
Despite the advantages, Baneijee also adds his worries. He suggests certain rules be made to prevent main information from being stolen. "Where tools like SIMBA really shine", he says, "is in helping researchers develop monitoring plans that are keys to the protection of at-risk animals," he says, "otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain."
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