Ranger Hammond returns
I’m sure that many older readers will well remember episodes of the children’s programs ‘Skippy the bush kangaroo’ and ‘Lassie’. In the midst of some dire situation, Lassie or Skippy would trot or hop over to their respective owners to impart some form of vitally important information and thus save the day. I well remember the occasions when Skippy would hop up to ‘Ranger Hammond’ and make some clicking noises, only for Ranger Hammond to declare to his companions “I think Skippy’s trying to tell us something!”
Well according to recent reports, Israeli prison staff are using the latest hi-tech animal interpreting software in a bid to understand the barks emitted by patrolling guard dogs. Apparently, the dogs routinely patrol prison perimeters unescorted and now their barks, growls and panting can be picked up by attached microphones, fed into a computer and analysed to gain an approximation of what the dogs might be ‘saying’.
The Israeli prison service claim to have a high level of success and can distinguish whether the dog is distressed, frightened, excited, likes the looks of one of his or her fellows or is just feeling ruff. Further microphone stations are also placed around the prison’s perimeter so that the roving canine jailors can easily reach these and give further alerts to waiting human jailors. Three Israeli prisons have already adopted this technology, with more to be rolled out in time.
I’ll resist the obvious urge to comment that the Israeli prison service is going to the dogs…wonder what “when’s my next helping of Winalot” is in dog language!