Large animals, either on their own or in family groups and herds can pose a significant risk to both animal and rail traffic. An elephant can weigh as much as a large SUV or even a small truck so no collision is trivial.
Where animals can be concealed by forests and dense bushes, fiber optic sensing can be used to identify their footsteps before they reach the rail corridor. Burying fiber in strategic locations away from the rail track can provide an early warning of their presence allowing local teams to spring into action and locomotive drivers to be warned of their approach to a potential conflict location.