14 DAY TRIAL // There is a limited number of wishes modern technology can't fulfill. Experts from New York city based-Ground Lab manufacture a hi-tech collar for lions and cattle in Kenya that will help biologists track the animals faster than ever before.
This initiative comes as an effective way of putting an end to the numerous conflicts with local Maasai herders, aiming to ensure a higher safety level for locals and lions, reports Technology Review. In a particular region in which cell phones are still considered luxurious items, because of their exorbitant prices, experts try to exploit the advantages of wireless data.
The smart collars will provide information regarding the exact location of lions, relying on a technology that is considerably cheaper than satellite tracking.
The collar could be manufactured by Ground Lab, due to a partnership with nonprofit organizations Living With Lions and Lion Guardians, hoping to ensure a risk-free framework for the lion population.
The innovative device includes a GPS unit and also a cellular modem that can send SMS or make calls. The new system also offers an affordable option to connect devices to the Internet. All in all, it appears to solve an emerging problem for the African ecosystem, as lack of modern technology often challenges most of the rescue missions in the area.
So far, biologists were sometimes forced to abandon their missions, or they faced failure because important information couldn't be gathered efficiently.
At this point in time, this problem doesn't seem to represent an obstacle anymore. If in the past experts relied on expensive satellite tracking operations to find and rescue animals, now researchers plan to implement their own off-the-grid cell towers, hoping that their method will help them reduce costs.
GSMA representatives say that Africa currently has approximately 650 million phone cell users. Even though the wireless data infrastructure in some particular areas still has a lot of gaps, experts admit that in Kenya, cell-phone reception is good enough to support SMS messages.
Therefore, biologists put all their hopes in the hi-tech collar, hoping to receive a text from Lion King and all its jungle friends.