HARNESSING DRONE-BASED THERMAL IMAGING AND FEDERATED AI FOR REAL-TIME MONITORING OF ENDANGERED WILDLIFE IN FRAGMENTED HABITATS AMID CLIMATE-INDUCED STRESS

The rapid decline in biodiversity due to climate-induced habitat fragmentation calls for intelligent conservation strategies. This paper explores the integration of drone-based thermal imaging with Federated Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor endangered wildlife in real time. Drones equipped with thermal sensors can detect heat signatures of animals even in dense foliage, while federated AI enables collaborative learning across distributed data nodes without compromising sensitive ecological data. This multi-modal surveillance framework enhances conservation efforts by providing predictive insights, population dynamics, and habitat stress indicators.