Vet Discovers Apple Watch Doesn't Only Track Human Heart, But Lion's Too

Move over humans, the king of the jungle is getting high-tech health checks! Veterinarians in Australia are pioneering a new approach to wildlife health monitoring using, believe it or not, Apple Watches. Dr Chloe Buiting, a wildlife vet with the online moniker "@Jungle_doctor," shared a fascinating video on Instagram showcasing this innovative technique. 

The video shows a sedated lion with an Apple Watch strategically placed on its tongue. This "off-label" use, as Dr. Buiting describes it, highlights the remarkable potential of technology in animal conservation. The caption reads: "@apple Watch can measure a lion's heart rate if you strap it to the tongue... a true 'technology meets conservation' story."

Dr. Buiting credits Dr. Fabiola Quesada, a renowned wildlife veterinarian, for inspiring this technique. Dr Quesada first used an Apple Watch to measure an elephant's heart rate by attaching it to the animal's ear. This method offers a safe and effective solution to the challenge of monitoring vital signs in large, wild animals.

Veterinarians leverage this approach by securing the Apple Watch on a sedated lion's tongue, allowing for real-time monitoring of its heart rate during medical procedures. This innovation ensures efficient tracking of the animal's vital signs, ultimately contributing to improved animal care.

See the video here:

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A post shared by Dr Chloe Buiting | Wildlife Vet (@jungle_doctor)

The Apple Watch uses a clever technology called photoplethysmography to track your heart rate. This method relies on a simple fact: blood absorbs green light but reflects red light. The watch uses green LED lights paired with light-sensitive photodiodes. As your heart pumps, blood flow in your wrist changes. The watch detects these fluctuations by flashing the LEDs hundreds of times per second and measuring how much green light is absorbed. This lets it calculate your heart rate.

Apple states the sensor can handle a wide range (30-210 beats per minute). To ensure accuracy, it adjusts for weak signals by cranking up the LED brightness and sampling rate. Additionally, the sensor can use infrared light for background heart rate checks and notifications.

However, for activities like workouts and mindfulness sessions, the watch switches to green LEDs. This allows for more precise heart rate monitoring, calculation of your walking average heart rate, and even assessment of Heart Rate Variability (HRV).