Prospector

Happy Monkeys Have Microchips

That's RFID chips, not poker chips!

Improving the life of captive animals in zoos may be easy as microchipping them and automating individual care routines.

Scientists from The University of Queensland are developing an enrichment and husbandry system that can dispense food, toys and medicine depending on the needs of individually microchipped animals.

Lead researcher UQ Gatton PhD student Julia Hoy said the system consisted of the microchips linked with scanners and other automated equipment that zoo keepers could set to release items at random times.

Miss Hoy said this unpredictability would help enrich caged life.

“The automated system involves microchipping animals so when they come to a scanner it will recognise each animal and then release food, sounds, smells, medications, toys or open a door controlling access to various parts of the enclosure,” Miss Hoy said.

Research should continue to see how this can be used to take care of children and the elderly.
Just chip them and lock them up.

Microchips boost monkey business behind bars - UQ News Online - The University of Queensland

posted by Prospector @ 10:21 AM