Asiatic Lion is a family of lions stretched across the coastal forests of northern Africa and from northern Greece, across Southwest Asia to eastern India. This family of wild cats began to become extinct with the advent of firearms in various regions. The Asiatic lion currently exists as a subpopulation, and thus it is vulnerable to extinction from disease epidemics or large forest fire.

The forest departments in the country have been taking various steps to protect this species. The Gujarat Forest Department has taken a step further, with a scientific solution to the problem. They have improvised with an AI-based photo-identification software specifically for the understanding of the population dynamics, dispersal, and social system of the Asiatic lions.

The software which is named Software with Intelligent Marking Based identification of Asiatic lions, shortly called ‘SIMBA’ has been developed to distinguish patterns/marks and to identify the Asiatic lions individually.

AI in SIMBA

SIMBA functions using the Machine Learning technique that enables a pairwise comparison that automates the individual identifications. The identification process is done by analysing the variability in a whisker spot pattern, presence of scars on the face, notches on ears and other metadata of the photograph. Using the software, unique features of the lion can be extracted and similar patterns/marks can be clustered within the embedding space of the Machine Learning. 

During the training process, with the sufficient data installed in the model, it becomes more efficient and makes it possible to separate the biological aspects of the lion according to the needs of the researcher. Separated areas can be used for further identification. After the identification, SIMBA also generates a Unique Identification Number, which is stored in the software, for future reference. Through this ID number, we can understand if a particular lion is new or if its records already exist in the data.

Other criteria such as gender, name, microchip number, life status, lactating, can also be understood using this database. Wildlife veterinary records can be added to the system. Overall user-friendly functioning of the system makes it easier to access the needed data.

Benefits of SIMBA

SIMBA provides a non-invasive mechanism for identification that will be of great help in the efforts towards conservation and management of the species in the Asiatic Lion landscape. SIMBA is now housed in the recently established “Gir Hi-Tech Monitoring Unit” at Sasan-Gir. The persistent identification of the species will enhance its conservation and ecological balance. It is vital to have a technological intervention in monitoring the physical composition of the animal since it is categorised under endangered species. 

The Gujarat government has always functioned very close with state-of-the-art modern technologies. Researchers have come to an inference that, the patterns that exist on the Asiatic Lions are highly variable, and this can be helpful in individual identification. This process assisted by photographs is a helpful tool for understanding demographics and extending management efforts.