Itanagar: A device has been developed to track and locate missing mithuns (bros frontalis), an important bovine species in the north east hill region.

The device ‘Mithun tracking collar’ will track and locate the exact position of mithuns, a large sized animal, in the deep jungles of the north eastern state through mobile phones, officials said on Wednesday.

The device has been developed by Jikam Panor, the disease investigation officer at Aalo in West Siang district and Tadang Tamut, a mithun rearer from Siang district.

“The device is a combination of a collar and GSM track pad which needs to be charged before use. A full charged pad is expected to last around three years on an average use. The device is waterproof, fireproof and unbreakable,” Panor said.

The trial of the device was carried out on Sunday at Jomlo Mongku village in Siang district of the state, where it showed the real time location of animal.

The device will be launched in the market very soon, Panor said.

Missing mithuns have posed acute problem for farmers and rearers for ages, which sometimes trigger issues like crop raid, ownership dispute, theft and even veterinary health care problems. The problem is compounded as the animal is considered an integral part of tribal traditions and customs and it holds significance among all indigenous tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.

Tamut said the state government should support such innovative ideas. “We hope that the days of missing mithuns are numbered and very soon it will be a history, thanks to technology and human mind”.

A few years ago, Panor had introduced implanting of microchips on mithuns which had solved their ownership dispute.

Efforts have been on to develop a device like the ‘Mithun tracking collar’ for many years. “This is the first time that a device has been developed which showed good results,” a senior official at the state animal husbandry and veterinary department said.