A leopard spotted on the ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) campus in Hyderabad was successfully captured and relocated with the help of drone surveillance by ideaForge Technology Limited, a Mumbai-based drone manufacturer. 

The operation, conducted in coordination with the Telangana Forest Department, took place after the animal was seen earlier this week. The incident began when ICRISAT’s security team, led by Major Divya Praneeth, noticed unusual animal movements and contacted ideaForge for assistance. 

The company deployed its Q4i and Q6 V2 drones, equipped with thermal imaging capabilities, to locate and monitor the leopard. The drones identified the leopard’s location over a two-day period, providing real-time data that enabled the forest department to capture and relocate the animal safely.

“This marks the first instance of ICRISAT using UAVs for campus surveillance,” said the company. Following the operation, ICRISAT has decided to procure a Q4i drone to strengthen its monitoring infrastructure across its over 100-acre campus.

ideaForge, a major player in India’s unmanned aerial systems sector, has previously supported similar operations. Its UAVs were instrumental in monitoring fire-prone zones during the Uttarakhand forest fires, delivering critical real-time data to firefighting teams.

The company stated, “Our technology leads the way in supporting wildlife management, environmental monitoring, and safety operations.” ideaForge drones are widely deployed across India, with over 6,50,000 successful flights and a launch every three minutes on average, according to the company.

The company has also recently announced a strategic partnership with Vantage Robotics, a nano and micro-UAV provider based in Silicon Valley, California. The partnership enabled the companies to tap into a market with a total addressable market (TAM) of $1 billion.

The collaboration aimed to broaden ideaForge’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) solution offerings and strengthen its presence in the North American market.

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