Now RFID has reached the rainforests of Amazon!! In order to study the biodiversity in Amazon, WWF is using RFID transponders for tracking white lipped peccaries. These are tusked pig like animals which weigh hundred pounds or more and are considered to be one of the most dangerous species of peccary. Peccaries are known to move towards salt and mineral deposits every few days and devour on the clay which helps in digestion and meets their deficiency of minerals. As a part of the study peccaries from different herds are being tagged with RFID. Readers have been placed at strategic points in order to collect data with regard to the animals.

Though they have not been labeled as endangered species but since they travel a lot and at times can have four hundred animals in a single heard therefore this pattern has attracted the attention of conservationists and RFID was chosen for aiding in collecting the desired information. Earlier labor intensive techniques were used for tracking wildlife but the cost benefits and convenience offered by RFID has made it a better alternative for field studies. The small size of the RFID tags has given an opportunity to even study young animals which can be fixed to the ear of young peccaries and monitor their growth. It is expected that this data would help in building international consensus on land management. May be in the future we might see RFID being used for monitoring endangered species so that they can be saved from the jaws of extinction.

Photo: WWF / AREAS Project