'Earrings' help to foil cattle rustlers

Tagging animals and stepping up police operations are preventing thefts in one rural community

Farmer Wang Mingfu noticed his ox was missing when he woke on a chilly October morning in his village in Pu'an county, Guizhou province.

Wang and the animal live close together in the farm compound, and checking its enclosure is part of his morning routine. Worth 10,000 yuan ($1,422), the animal is a prized farm asset.

However, Wang had taken precautions against the ox's theft by having a microchip embedded in its ears, which allows the "earring" to be tracked via satellite. He called the police who, with the help of a mobile tracking device, located the animal in woodland about 5 kilometers from Wang's home.