BEIJING, May 31 -- A digital ID microchip with readable information pre-recorded was put inside a Manchurian tiger living in King Palace Zoo in central China’s Henan province, making the basic information of the tiger available anytime with this electronic ID card.

    This specially-designed RFID microchip is distributed by the State Forestry Administration to some endangered species of animals with its identified ID number to show detailed information such as name, age, gender, species, birth place, blood type and DNA. All these information are readable to a scanner close to the animal.

    This Manchurian tiger is among the zoo’s three Chinese tigers, which were numbed and injected a one-centimeter-long RFID microchips into its neck beneath the skin.

    Manchurian tigers in China are an endangered species living in north China, with no more than 30 left in the wild.

    The move is in response to a national campaign launched by the State Forestry Administration last year that called on all zoos to implant digital ID chips in 17 precious species of animals, including tigers, pandas, golden monkeys, cranes and swans.

    Such microchips are widely used worldwide to identify and manage animals. It’s also helpful in breeding control and epidemic prevention.(XHTV)