Transponder for identification Tiergarten – that means animals, plants, nature. Taking a closer look, you can see that a lot of technology is necessary as well to keep the zoo running. Identification card inside their body When gorilla Schorsch had to move from Nuremberg to Tenerife, his new zoo keeper recognized him immediately, even though Schorsch could not speak Spanish and the keeper could not speak gorilla-German. That was because Schorsch had a number on him that is as unique as a fingerprint. This number is saved in what is known as a transponder, which was implanted into the gorilla by a vet. The transponder is invisible from the outside, but if necessary, the identification code can be made visible with a special reading device, for example by the zookeeper in Tenerife. The zookeeper then compares this code with the information in his documents and immediately knows whether the gorilla in front of him really is Schorsch or maybe his buddy Fritz. Apart from the identification code, the documents state further information such as name, date of birth, owner or ancestry. The transponder is about as large as a rice grain and contains an electronic chip with the identification code. Each of these 10-digit combinations is unique and cannot be changed. The transponder is injected into the animal's tissue (for example in the neck area) with a syringe, where it remains for the rest of the animal's life. Since it does not react with the ambient tissue and does not move around in the body, it is completely harmless for the animal. Since 1991, the Tiergarten has been able to clearly mark their animals without injuring them or changing their looks. For the animals, the transponder is much more gentle than any traditional way of marking such as tattoos or earmarks - not to mention brandings as we know them on cows in American westerns. The transponder helps to verify an animal's ownership or ancestry beyond any doubt, which complicates the theft and smuggling of rare animals. Thus, with the injectable transponders, the high-tech world of microchips finally made its way to the animal kingdom. This way of marking is often even stipulated by law in these times.
