A world-first trial will be conducted by criminologists at the University of Novel England to see if a new smart solar-powered ear tag might help prevent cattle theft. The ear tag introduced in Australia by Queensland agricultural technology company Ceres Tag will be put to the test in a mock stock theft situation during the testing, which will take place at the end of March. Twenty sheep on UNE’s SMART Farms have been equipped with the new device, which is worn on their collars for welfare reasons, in preparation for a coordinated stock theft recovery event on March 29 by UNE criminologists in partnership with NSW Police.
Stock theft, according to Kyle Mulrooney, co-director of the UNE Centre for Rural Criminology, is still a major issue in rural areas. “It can have terrible financial and psychological consequences for farmers,” Dr. Mulrooney said, “yet it’s a notoriously tough crime to prevent or remedy.” One of the crime-prevention measures the survey respondents stated they were willing to utilise to help prevent crime was smart animal ear tags. “We are really optimistic that with this new Ceres Tag product, we will finally have the technology that will give farmers more confidence and peace of mind, as well as enabling the authorities to intervene and solve these crimes.”
The new system adds particularly developed animal tracking capabilities to a typical animal ear tag, including direct satellite GPS. During the simulated heist, cattle will be relocated to Tamworth abattoirs as researchers monitor the quality of the data from the tag, as well as the benefits to the police response. “What we’ll be assessing is the Ceres Tag’s ability to inform the farmer in real time when their livestock is agitated,” Dr Mulrooney explained. “This may be caused by an animal, an intruder, or trespassers trying to muster cattle for theft in a real situation on a farm.”
As part of a coordinated response, the RCPT will manage the technology’s capabilities and inventory. “It’s critical that we all have this technical experience, not only to assure the integrity of the data, but also to enable an effective response to the data that’s coming in,” Dr. Mulrooney explained. “In the past, even when we knew the merchandise was stolen, it wasn’t always easy to figure out where it came from.” However, these tags will disclose all of that information, and if correctly attached, they will be impossible to remove without causing great harm to the animal, making it far more difficult to sell them on the legal market.
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