Meet Anika Puri, 17, who built $300 AI tool to spot elephant poachers and won $25,000

The Times of India

Meet Anika Puri, the 17-year-old Indian-American student who built a $300 AI system to spot elephant poachers with over 90% accuracy and won a $25,000 Davidson scholarship award

TOI Science Desk · Oct 13, 2026

When darkness settles over a wildlife reserve, spotting a poacher from hundreds of feet above the ground can be a difficult task, even with thermal imaging technology. For park rangers working to protect endangered animals, a missed movement could have serious consequences.