Surprising Ways QR Codes Are Used to Track and Protect Wildlife
Identifying and Tracking Individual Wild Animals
In wildlife conservation work, identifying and tracking individual animals is the most basic of basics. Traditionally, the main means of identification were leg bands (birds), ear tags (mammals), and microchips (implanted under the skin), but these have the limitations that "they can only be read at close range" and "a dedicated reader is needed."
Identification using QR codes partially resolves these limitations. For example, conservation groups in Australia and Costa Rica are trialing a system in which a QR code is engraved on a tracking tag attached to a sea turtle's shell. When a member of the public who finds a sea turtle that has come to a beach to lay eggs scans it with a smartphone, the individual's identification number, past egg-laying records, and travel routes are displayed from a database. What is groundbreaking is that individual information can be accessed with an ordinary citizen's smartphone, without a dedicated reader.
However, the method of attaching QR codes directly to wild animals also has limits. With changes in body shape as the animal grows, dirt from mud and algae sticking to it, and wear from contact with other individuals, maintaining the readability of a QR code is not easy. For this reason, QR codes are positioned as a "second means of identification" that complements GPS transmitters and microchips.
Countering the Poaching of Ivory / Rhino Horn
The illegal trade in ivory and rhino horn is one of the biggest challenges in wildlife conservation in Africa. Even though international trade is banned under CITES (the Washington Convention), demand on the black market remains strong, and poaching never ceases.
To address this problem, projects are under way in South Africa and Kenya to engrave QR codes on legally stored ivory and rhino horn and link them to a DNA database. Scanning the QR code on seized ivory makes it possible to determine immediately which individual the ivory came from, when and where it was collected, and whether it is a legally stored item or a poached item.
Technically, a dual authentication method is used in which a QR code is engraved on the surface of the ivory with a laser and a trace amount of synthetic DNA marker is injected inside it. A QR code alone could be counterfeited, but combining it with the DNA marker dramatically raises the hurdle for counterfeiting. According to a report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the introduction of such traceability technologies is said to contribute to raising the rate at which illegal trade is detected.
Citizen-Participation Ecological Surveys (Citizen Science)
In ecological survey work, professional researchers alone face limits on the scope and frequency of surveys. This is where the method of "citizen science," in which members of the public take part in surveys, is attracting attention. QR codes function as a tool that dramatically lowers the hurdles to this kind of citizen-participation survey.
As a concrete example of how this works, there is a system in which QR codes are placed at bird-watching points, and scanning one displays "a list of birds that can be observed at this location" and "a form for reporting sightings." When a citizen out for a walk spots a rare bird, simply by scanning the QR code, choosing the species name, attaching a photo, and sending it, the sighting information is accumulated in the researchers' database.
In nationwide ecological surveys such as the Ministry of the Environment's "Monitoring Sites 1000" project, the number of survey points becomes enormous. By placing a QR code at each survey point and providing a path to the survey procedures and record forms, you can reduce the burden on volunteer surveyors and promote the standardization of data. A system in which accurate data can be collected just by scanning a QR code and following the on-screen instructions, even without specialist knowledge, improves the quality and quantity of surveys at the same time.
Educational Programs at Zoos / Aquariums
Systems in which QR codes are placed on exhibit panels at zoos and aquariums, and scanning them displays videos of the animals' ecology, audio explanations by keepers, and quiz-style learning content, greatly enrich visitors' educational experience. For children in particular, stamp rally-style tours of the grounds using QR codes are popular.
Space on exhibit panels is limited, but through a QR code you can provide an unlimited amount of information that a physical exhibit cannot fully convey, such as 360-degree panoramic footage of the animal's habitat, its status as an endangered species, and a donation page for conservation activities. There are zoos and aquariums in every part of the country, and the types of visitors change with the seasons and school events. Because every one of those visitors carries a smartphone that serves as a display device, facilities can deliver explanations without handing out devices. For a wide range of visitors, the QR code is one of the most cost-effective educational tools.
From Preventing Lost Pets to Protecting Wildlife
Pet tags with QR codes have become widespread as a means of identifying the owners of lost pets. It is a system in which scanning the QR code attached to a collar displays the owner's contact details, the pet's name, and information on chronic illnesses and allergies. Unlike microchips, they can be read with a smartphone without a dedicated reader, so a member of the public who finds a pet can contact the owner on the spot.
This characteristic of QR codes, that "anyone can scan them," is broadening their range of applications from preventing lost pets to wildlife conservation activities. Even if the technology is the same, when the target changes from pets to wild animals, the factors to consider differ greatly, such as durability, waterproofing, and effects on the animals (stress and changes in behavior). Applying QR codes to wild animals is a developing field that needs to be designed carefully from both technical and ethical standpoints.