Shrek-approved: AI app helps visitors identify adopted donkeys at sanctuary

University of Southampton researchers have developed an AI-powered mobile app that can identify individual donkeys at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary using smartphone cameras. The innovation solves a practical problem for visitors who adopt donkeys but can no longer identify their chosen animals after the sanctuary removed name collars for safety reasons in 2023.

How it works: The app, called Ask ELVIS (Equine Long-range Visual Identification System), uses machine learning to distinguish between donkeys based on a library of hundreds of photographs taken from every angle.

• Visitors point their phone camera at a donkey, and the app identifies the animal and provides a link to learn more about it.
• The system is named after Elvis, an “iconic character” donkey who died in 2024.
• Currently, the app has only 50% accuracy—essentially a coin flip—but researchers expect significant improvements by the end of the year.

Why this matters: The sanctuary had to remove all donkey name collars after safety incidents, but thousands of visitors have adopted donkeys and want to identify their specific animals during visits.

• “They’re not of any use to the animal, but they’re incredibly useful to the public—some of whom will come and want to see a particular animal,” said Gordon Pattison, volunteer and trustee of the sanctuary.

The bigger picture: Researchers are bridging the gap between experimental AI accuracy and real-world application, with plans to expand the technology’s capabilities.

• Future development could include AI-powered health monitoring for the donkeys, which researchers say could help detect subtle health issues earlier.
• “The donkeys don’t give out much, they’re very stoic—so we have to look for subtle clues,” Pattison explained.

What they’re saying: Project lead Dr. Xiaohao Cai emphasized the accessibility of AI technology for smaller organizations.

• “The message is that AI isn’t just for big state enterprises,” he said.
• “If you’ve got an idea, it can help you out—you just need to approach the problem from a different point of view.”