How GPS tracker helped an Idukki dairy farmer locate missing livestock

When messages about a missing buffalo and a male buffalo calf recently circulated across local WhatsApp groups in Kozhimala, a village near Kattappana in Idukki, residents were quick to share details and search for updates. However, the animals’ owner did not have to rely on guesswork. Using an affordable GPS tracking system attached to his livestock, dairy farmer Anish M.K. tracked their movements directly on his mobile phone and recovered them safely from a distant farmland.

Mr. Anish has devised a practical method to safeguard his cattle. Allowing livestock to graze freely across hills, grasslands, and forest fringes is common among farmers in the high ranges, where owners often check on their animals only once a month or when they reach maturity. As cattle frequently wander into forest tracts or fall prey to theft, Mr. Anish decided to fit his livestock with real-time tracking units.

The system was put to the test recently when the animals strayed out of range for an unusually long period, raising fears that they had run into danger.

“The animals became trapped in an area enclosed by a solar-powered fence, which blocked them and triggered an alert. Once they moved clear of the enclosure, the signal updated, and I was able to track and locate them,” Mr. Anish said.

Mr. Anish purchased the GPS unit online for ₹4,500. “The system operates on a SIM card and battery, linking directly to my smartphone. The device is placed inside a plastic bottle and secured around the buffalo’s neck. To prevent water damage, I tested the bottle in a bucket of water to ensure it was completely watertight before fastening it. A single charge lasts about a month, giving ample time to retrieve the unit and recharge the battery,” he explained.

“If the tracker indicates an abnormal delay or an alert, we know immediately that the animal might be in distress,” he said.

Forest Department officials noted that while radio collars and satellite transmitters are routinely deployed on wild elephants and tigers during translocation or monitoring operations, adapting commercial GPS technology for domestic livestock grazing along forest borders is an innovative and cost-effective solution.