Pakistan trials AI-powered cameras to protect snow leopards
Pilot project in Gilgit-Baltistan uses solar-powered AI towers to detect big cats and alert villagers amid declining snow leopard numbers
GILGIT, Kashmir (MNTV) — A new conservation initiative in Pakistan-administered Kashmir is using artificial intelligence (AI) to protect one of the world’s most elusive and endangered big cats — the snow leopard.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), in partnership with the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), has developed AI-enabled cameras designed to detect snow leopards in real time and send alerts to local communities to prevent human-animal conflict.
According to a report by the BBC, Pakistan is home to an estimated 300 snow leopards — the third-largest population globally.
Despite legal protections, between 221 and 450 snow leopards are killed worldwide each year, with more than half of those deaths believed to be in retaliation for livestock losses.
WWF says the species has declined by 20 percent over the past two decades, with only 4,000 to 6,000 individuals remaining in the wild.
In an effort to reverse this trend, WWF has installed 10 AI-powered cameras across three villages in Gilgit-Baltistan — a mountainous region near the Himalayas.
The cameras are mounted on solar-powered towers at altitudes of around 3,000 meters and are equipped with software that can distinguish between humans, animals, and snow leopards.
They are capable of functioning autonomously, continuing to record and store data even without a mobile network.
But deployment has not been without challenges. Harsh winter conditions forced engineers to experiment with various batteries, while even the camera paint had to be specially chosen to avoid reflection that could scare wildlife.
The project has also faced skepticism from local villagers. Some installations were tampered with or covered.
“We noticed some of the wires had been cut,” said Asif Iqbal, a conservationist with WWF.
“People had thrown blankets over the cameras.”
Concerns over privacy, particularly in areas where women live and work, have led to relocation of some units.
In a few villages, cameras have not been installed due to pending consent agreements.
Sitara, a villager who lost six sheep in a snow leopard attack, expressed doubt about the system’s effectiveness.
“It was three to four years of hard work raising those animals, and it all ended in one day,” she said.
“My phone barely gets any service during the day; how can a text help?”
Starting in September, researchers plan to enhance the system by testing additional deterrents — including smells, sounds, and flashing lights — to prevent leopards from straying into human settlements.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to conserve snow leopards across Central and South Asia and reflects growing interest in using AI for wildlife protection in remote and ecologically sensitive regions.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
