Local communities in Maramureș, Romania, are one step closer to safer coexistence with wildlife following the real-life testing of an innovative monitoring and early warning system developed within the COOP4SAFE project.
The initiative is coordinated by WWF-Romania in partnership with Sensing Clues and AJVPS Maramureș – a key project partner with a legal role in wildlife intervention activities on the ground.
Technology Tested in Real Conditions for Community Safety
The system combines real-time monitoring cameras, the digital mobile application Cluey, and the intelligent Focus platform, where collected data is automatically processed and analyzed.
Using artificial intelligence, the system can identify the presence of brown bears and rapidly send alerts to intervention teams and authorities before situations become dangerous.
During the testing phase, the system has already shown promising results:
- it was initially calibrated using test images of bears;
- shortly afterwards, it generated its first real alert after a brown bear was detected by one of the monitoring cameras.
This marks an important milestone in validating the system under real field conditions. The solution is currently being further optimized and will soon be fully integrated into the Cluey application.
So far, five monitoring cameras have been installed in high-risk areas:
- four cameras in the Baia Sprie area;
- one camera in the Săpânța area.
How the System Works
The early warning system relies on an integrated process that includes:
- collecting field data through monitoring cameras, patrols, and community reports;
- automatic analysis of images captured by motion-sensor cameras using artificial intelligence to identify bear presence and risk areas;
- rapid transmission of alerts to intervention teams and local authorities.
This approach enables preventive action – from warning local residents to mobilizing the intervention teams – helping reduce the risk of incidents before they escalate.
Benefits for Local Communities
By introducing this system, local communities benefit from:
- increased safety through early warning alerts;
- reduced damage caused by wildlife;
- faster and better coordinated interventions;
- improved access to relevant information about local risks;
- active involvement in monitoring and reporting wildlife-related situations.
