How RFID Technology Helps Domestic And Wild Animals

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and tags are used to wirelessly identify objects. RFID solutions exist for a variety of industries, such as retail, government, and manufacturing; however, RFID readers are also being used to track tagged animals, both domesticated and in the wild. RFID technology can keep track of animals that are lost or endangered.  It often plays a significant role in rescue and preservation efforts. Here are a few of the many ways RFID readers can be used to track animals:

Domestic Pets

It is becoming increasingly common for veterinarians to tag pets with GPS-enabled RFID chips. If a pet becomes lost, it can be tracked using its RFID tag. The RFID tag can also identify the animal and provide the owner’s contact information if someone brings it to the vet or an animal shelter. This RFID technology helps to reunite pets with their owners and also helps veterinarians with the overpopulation of stray animals.

Livestock and Farm Animals

Farmers can use RFID readers and tags to identify livestock pedigrees and medical information. The animal’s information is uploaded to a database, and can be accessed with an RFID reader during inventory counts or visits to the veterinarian. RFID solutions with GPS allow farmers to keep track of the animal’s movement, heart rate, travel patterns, and eating habits.

Wildlife

RFID technology is also used to track wildlife for both the safety of the animals and for research. Information on a wild animal’s migratory patterns, eating habits, and day-to-day movements are used in research, especially on wildlife reserves. For endangered animals, GPS-enabled tags can be tracked with RFID readers and software to determine whether an animal is in a safe location or not. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been protecting endangered animals from poachers using RFID technology and drones. Once an endangered animal is located, the drone can pick up on thermal energy from poachers. Officials and rangers are then notified of the location of the poachers, and the poachers are detained—preventing them from killing or severely injuring any more animals.

RFID technology is invaluable in locating, monitoring, and keeping track of information for a variety of  assets within different industries. The ability to monitor populations of animals for their own safety is quite an achievement for humans and technology. RFID readers and tags protect assets for businesses and also our endangered wildlife and their natural habitats.

Learn more about item-level RFID tagging for retail: click here

Item-Level Tagging For Retail Guide