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By Greg Bartlett

Despite our current technological advances, there are still many animals about which people just don’t know enough.  For instance, scientists often lack information about endangered species, which could help preserve the animals and prevent their extinction.  Following these animals around in the wild to observe them and gather information is often just not feasible, partly because the animal may be dangerous or may travel too quickly, and partly because the environment and weather may be a serious issue.  Who wants to follow a wolf around in the arctic, anyway?

GPS Tracking Units & Wildlife

GPS tracking units now allow scientists to better study wildlife, including endangered species and those who live in climates where humans can’t easily survive.  For instance, GPS collars on arctic wolves permit scientists for the first time to find out what the wolves do during the long and harsh winters.  Wolves in Oregon have also been fitted with collars which the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife can use to monitor and gather information about the wolf pack.

Monitoring wildlife with GPS tracking units also helps protect people.  An endangered species of black bears in India have killed over two dozen people in the past four years, but now that they are wearing GPS collars, officials will be alerted if the bears come too close to people.  Officials can then alert people to the danger while removing the bears to a safer location.  In California, the Fish and Game Department tracks deer in real time, allowing them to be alerted if a deer heads toward a road.  For the many people who want to avoid running into a deer and possibly totaling their car, plus avoiding any injuries that may occur, knowing whether or not a deer is nearby would a huge comfort.

Most importantly for the animals themselves, GPS tracking units help scientists to gather as much information as possible to help protect them and further their survival.  Endangered animals such as the West African giraffe who are losing their habitats and whose existence is thus threatened can be monitored with GPS tracking collars.  Scientists can then learn more about their movements, habitat requirements, and how humans can best further their survival.

No matter what the wildlife species is that humans are trying to track and learn more about, whether it is bears, marine life, wolves, cougars, giraffes, or another endangered species, GPS tracking units are a new way for humans to care for and protect the environment in which they live.