Collars help the sheep against wolves

The sheep in Switzerland will be able to text people when they encounter wolves thanks to a special necklace.

The number of wolves in Switzerland has been on the rise. Even if the sheep escape from the wolf, their owners are still suffering from the pests that they pour out of the farm fence or run too far and away.

Dr Jean-Marc Landry, a wolf specialist at the Kora Research Institute in Switzerland, is working on a necklace that can track the heart rate of sheep, the BBC reported.

The ring is equipped with sensors that can measure the heart rate, which athletes use during their training. When the sheep feel nervous or panic, their heart rate will increase. If the lamb's heart rate increases over a long period of time - usually when they meet the wolf - the ring's electronic chip sends a message to the shepherd's cell phone.

The first versions of the ring were tested on the body of 12 sheep. The researchers used two dogs to scare them. The results showed that the heartbeat of lambs nearly tripled when they saw the dog.

Landry said the first rounds will be released this fall. In addition to the messaging version, the team will create two more rounds, including a major audio version and a chemical spray version to scare the wolf.

A number of foreign governments, including France and Norway, are interested in the type of bracelets that Landry's team researches.