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By Harriette Halepis

Wisconsin State Journal, February, 11, 2010, Wisconsin – It’s no secret that the Department of Natural Resources has been tracking various wild animals for some time now. While this form of GPS tracking proves to be very useful, attaching and removing GPS trackers from some animals proves to be difficult.

Wildlife & GPS Tracking

Some animals that are currently being tracked by the Department of Natural Resources include bullsnakes, fish, ruffed grouse, wolves, deer, elk, rattlesnakes, and blue-winged teal. Researchers use the information gathered from GPS trackers to identify mating patterns, trekking patterns, and a wealth of other important animal welfare information. This form of GPS tracking has been used for some time now, though researchers have begun encountering a small problem involving collecting data.

The main problem with this type of GPS system is that once a GPS tracker has been attached to an animal, the tracker must be retrieved in order for researchers to collect the data. This can be done by one of two methods: the first involves the actual retrieval of the animal being tracked, and the second involves a programmable GPS collar that automatically falls off of an animal once a tracking period has ended.

While the second retrieval option seems to be the most sensible, these collars don’t always work. This often means that researchers have to capture an animal in order to gain GPS information. While retrieving a collar from a rabbit may be relatively safe, retrieving a collar from, say, a wolf is a different story.

Still, according to Nancy Matthews (Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the University of Wisconsin) “the state-of-the-art systems, which cost in excess of $2500 can transmit information back to the satellite and the information can then be downloaded by someone in an office…(Wisconsin State Journal).“

Throughout the past year, researchers have gained an immense amount of information about various species that have been track via GPS. Without this technology, myths that surround animals such as deer and elk would go unresolved. As it stands, researchers like Nancy Matthews have had the opportunity to dispel “…several myths about deer in the (Wisconsin) area (Wisconsin State Journal).

GPS tracking technology is used in many different countries throughout the globe to track wild animals. From wolves that reside in Wisconsin to elephants that live in the African Busch, GPS tracking is changing the way that the world understands wild animals. While collecting GPS collars from these animals may not always be easy, the amount of information that is gained is indispensible.