Korea deploys AI drones to stop wild boar incursions into residential areas
A wild boar foraging near Seoul is automatically detected and monitored by an artificial intelligence-enabled surveillance camera, Sept. 5. Courtesy of Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment
Real-time thermal tracking detects animals near capital's borders
High above the forested slopes encircling northern Seoul, autonomous drones are scanning the brush for an unexpected urban threat: wild boars.
Equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and real-time thermal imaging, the unmanned aircraft are part of a new high-tech surveillance system launched by Korea to intercept roaming wildlife before they stray into crowded city areas.
Korea’s National Institute of Biological Resources said Thursday that it developed the AI-driven monitoring system to track wild boars in real time. By integrating autonomous drones and closed-circuit cameras with deep-learning algorithms, the platform detects animal movements, predicts potential travel corridors and alerts local authorities the instant a boar crosses into high-risk zones.
The initiative represents a fundamental shift in urban wildlife management.
Historically, local officials have relied on emergency reporting after boars are spotted near homes, parks or roads — a reactive approach that leaves little time for prevention. Seoul’s fire headquarters logged nearly 500 wild boar dispatches in 2025 alone, alongside hundreds more in previous years.
"The significance of this technology lies in shifting our response from reactive measures to proactive monitoring," said Yoo Ho, president of the National Institute of Biological Resources. "We are establishing a system that looks ahead at high-risk areas to enable swift field intervention."
To train the system, researchers fed more than 12,000 images of wild boars into a deep-learning model. Connected to autonomous drones sweeping a 3-kilometer radius as well as thermal surveillance cameras and traps, the system scans video feeds for boar profiles. When a match is flagged, an automated alert sends exact coordinates and match probability rates directly to emergency responders.
During pilot testing around Mount Bukhan, a popular national park bordering dense residential districts in northern Seoul, the system successfully tracked boar activity in real time. Drones cruising above rugged terrain captured nighttime infrared imagery, pinpointing animals foraging in the brush and transmitting warning feeds to central monitors without delay.
Beyond immediate dispatching, the system aggregates movement logs to build predictive habitat maps, giving municipal caseworkers a clearer view of seasonal migration routes.
Starting in November, the ministry said it will roll out the surveillance software and operational guidelines to local governments nationwide, offering a high-tech blueprint for cities struggling with human-wildlife conflicts.
As urban expansion continues to encroach on natural habitats across Korea, officials hope the AI surveillance network will establish a safer, more sustainable balance between city residents and local wildlife.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.