Kerala Forest & Wildlife Department takes official charge of ‘HAWK’ to Combat Wildlife Crime
Kerala, July 2 2024: Kerala Forest Minister Shri. A K Saseendran presided over the official ceremony where HAWK (Hostile Activity Watch Kernel) was handed over by Mr. Jose Louies, CEO of WTI as the forest and wildlife offence management tool to Shri. K R Jyothilal IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Shri. Ganga Singh IFS, PCCF (HoFF), Shri. D. Jayaprasad IFS, PCCF (Wildlife) & CWLW and Shri. Pramod G Krishnan IFS, APCCF Admin.
Kerala Forest Minister Shri. A K Saseendran presided over the official ceremony where HAWK was handed over to the Forest Department | Photo by Sreenanth K
Supported by NTT DATA, a digital business and IT services leader, HAWK is a specialised software system, which will be the nerve centre of the state forest department as part of its modernisation initiatives. This state-of-the-art system monitors all aspects of forest and wildlife crime, such as the death of wildlife, suspected criminal activities, and movement of suspicious vehicles. Information regarding these and other incidents of interest from the field is fed into a centralised system so that effective and pre-emptive responses, including counteraction, can be initiated.
The concept of developing HAWK originated in 2015 during ‘Operation Shikar,’ which investigated the Malayattoor Elephant poaching case (where approximately 25 Asian elephants were poached and the convicts were found to be from Kerala and its neighbouring states). The Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department felt the urgent need for a centralised wildlife crime intelligence management system that can not only gather real-time intelligence, and record suspect details but also possess the ability to scan through heaps of intelligence data, analyse key linkages between wildlife crimes, for the enforcement agencies to act upon. It was believed that such a system would also ensure poaching incidents are thwarted with advanced knowledge of the forest department and stopped from repeating within the state.
Following the official handover of HAWK, the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department commended Wildlife Trust of India for its support in developing the software and awarded a certificate of appreciation to the organisation and the supporting team.
From (L) to (R): Shri. D. Jayaprasad IFS, PCCF (Wildlife) & CWLW, Kerala Forest Department, Shri. Ganga Singh IFS, PCCF (HoFF), Shri. K R Jyothilal IAS, Additional Chief Secretary and Shri. Pramod G Krishnan IFS, APCCF Admin with Jose Louies, CEO, WTI | Photo by Sreenanth K
Talking about HAWK, Shri. D. Jayaprasad IFS, PCCF (Wildlife) & CWLW, Kerala Forest Department expressed that HAWK is an innovative software first developed in collaboration with WTI in 2017. Right from the detection to the prosecution of the crime, this software monitors all aspects. It is a laudable approach that will increase the overall efficiency of the department in crime management.
In 2019, HAWK was inaugurated by the then Head of Forest Force of Kerala, Mr. P K Kesavan, IFS. Following its successful implementation in Kerala, HAWK was launched by the Karnataka Forest Department in 2023 and we hope it is adopted across the nation.
Gauri Bahulkar, Director of Global Corporate Social Responsibility at NTT DATA Services, emphasised that the HAWK software exemplifies their commitment to technological innovations for a sustainable future. It not only streamlines conservation efforts but also promotes transparency, aligning with their mission to safeguard the natural world for future generations.
The state has already started digitising old wildlife crime data into the new system which will help the department build various databases covering information about habitual offenders, locations, methods of hunting, etc. So far, over 1750 forest officers have undergone training by an expert team to use the HAWK system and a technical team is in place to provide real-time assistance to the new users. Frontline forest staff will be trained to use the system across the state and a dedicated helpdesk will assist them in the integration process under the supervision of the Chief Wildlife Warden’s office.
We aim to expand our support further to other state Forest Departments over time, enhancing efficiency and transparency within each department.
