somewhere far away is a nest, a den, a home

WHAT’S A RADIOCOLLAR❓

A radiocollar is a device placed around the animal’s neck, like a real collar, and it’s mostly used on wildlife.

Thanks to this device, the movements, migration routes, and habitat use of animals are monitored using the global positioning system.

The spatial and temporal resolutions provided by the GPS tracking method allow the identification of critical habitats, migration routes, and breeding grounds, which are essential for the survival of species.

The method has been found to be very useful in the conservation of endangered species, as it provides the opportunity for continuous tracking without invading the habitat of the species.

(from Wikipedia - GPS animal tracking)

WHY DO I FEEL CONNECTED TO IT❓

Everytime I come across a picture of a wild canine or feline wearing one of these collars I immediately think “yup, that’s me”.

As a domestic dog, I’ve always felt very connected to dog collars, and this connection doesn’t end when I’m feeling more wild.

I’m a wild animal, but my life is constantly “monitored” by humans: I have to depend on them when it comes to friendships, relationships, food, house, school/work, public transport,… all of these things can’t miss in my life and, in order to have them, I have to be with humans and to depend on them.

Humans also take care of my wellbeing, like doctors and psychologists. And the humans I live with actually track me on a geo locator app to make sure they know where I am in case something happens and they need to reach me.

On this aspect, it’s something kinda “philosophical”: this connection reflects how I feel in my life with humans. Wild animals normally shouldn’t wear collars, but these devices are necessary for their individual and specie wellbeing, and so humans are in my life.

But there’s another aspect: the more animalistic one.

The tought of being an animal with a radiocollar makes me really euphoric bc it’s like being a registered wolf, an “official” wolf, if that makes sense (and a lioness aswell).

I would love to have a real radiocollar as gear, but it would be really expensive and I don’t know if you can just randomly buy one.

So, a few months ago I’ve decided to give myself an ID number like the ones radiocollared wolves are identified as (based on their birth date, etc.).

My ID number is 1309F.

HOW DID I CHOOSE THIS ID❓

13 -> it would be 2013, when I started to experience my first animalistic experiences.

09 -> I’ve born in 2009.

F -> stands for “female”, my gender.