Mizoram's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department officials have implanted microchips in the bodies of around 500 traditional Mizo Mithun (Bros frontalis) so that the animals could be identified by their owners, an official statement today said.
A unique species of the country's North Eastern hilly region, mithun is a semi-domestic animal. As they are usually allowed to graze freely in the forests, they require identification to avoid disputes among the owners.
Traditionally, the owners identified the bovine species from their colour or by marking them on the ears and other parts of the body, the statement said.
The 15-digit microchip, the size of an un-husked rice, is implanted in the body of a mithun which would remain during its lifetime.
Mizoram government made efforts to protect and increase the number of traditional mithun since a decade. The population of mithun in the state has increased from 1,939 in 2007 to 3,283 in 2012, the statement added.
Mithun is primarily reared as meat animal and highly preferred among the tribal people of North-Eastern region of India.
