Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

Nearly everyone will admit to knowing someone with an unusual pet. Maybe it’s the creepy guy with the snake collection, or that girl who positively adores her talking Hill Myna. Petting zoos too are very popular with kids this holiday season, and taking your kids will give them a chance to interact with a variety of unique species. Thankfully, these kinds of pets aren’t apt to wander far, but those with more mobile animals may want to consider a GPS tracking system. Easily one of the most in-demand items during this time of year, a GPS tracking device under the tree is sure to bring a smile to any pet owner.

Tracking Animals with GPS

One couple in Ohio is certainly putting theirs to good use. Steve Heathman and Dr. Melanie Butera have a household pet especially prone to wander. When a farmer brought an injured deer to Dr. Butera, a veterinarian, the couple simply couldn’t let the animal go. They named her Daffodil (Dillie for short) and nursed her back to health, deciding to keep the animal indoors with their two cats and one dog. Dille’s now housetrained and very much part of the family, so when she wandered out of an open gate this past summer, Heathman and Butera decided to purchase a collar outfitted with a GPS tracking device. Now her movements can be monitored with a computer, and the (slightly out of the ordinary) Ohio family has a little more peace of mind.

In a far less comfortable environment are New England’s moose herds, who nonetheless benefit from GPS tracking technology, as well. In case you’re wondering how well your pet’s GPS tracker will hold up, just follow the data provided by the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit as they seek to protect moose that will contend with harsh conditions this winter. Researchers have outfitted many moose with GPS tracking devices which will let authorities see how animal populations are reacting to lengthening road networks and expanding neighborhoods. Ultimately, researchers hope to protect moose and humans from fatal road collisions or other accidents.

Yet the beauty of a GPS tracking system is its scalability. Whether you’re tracking one individual unit or hundreds, a fleet of fast-moving vehicles or a few slow-moving deer, an effectively implemented GPS tracking system can provide you with all information you need to keep what you love safe.

By Harriette Halepis

Members of the Fish and Game Department in Truckee, California, have decided to place GPS tracking collars on a few deer that roam the Truckee area. Sixteen collars in total have been placed on select deer, and the Fish and Game Department hopes that these deer will provide researchers with valuable migration data.

Deer & GPS Tracking

Fish and Game officials want to know where the deer go during the wintertime. Since Truckee becomes rather cold during the winter months, researchers suspect that these deer just keep moving to stay warm. With the help of GPS trackers, answers to deer migration questions will soon unfold.

The GPS collars do not harm the deer in any manner, and all of the collars will automatically fall off of the deer during February of 2011. To say the least, the Truckee Fish and Game Department is thrilled about the possibility of being able to track beloved Truckee dear.

Researchers will be able to view the deer from a computer screen via real-time information. While this project is costing the Fish and Game Department around $8,000, its one project that many people hope will be well worth the price.

By Greg Bartlett

Though efforts have been made to monitor golden eagles before, they have not been successful. According to a United Kingdom project report in late July 2009, a young golden eagle, equipped with GPS tracking, has just left his parents’ nest to make his way in the world. Little has been known of how young golden eagles live and develop once out on their own. With this project, students and amateur and professional scientists alike hope to better understand the behaviors of young eagles. GPS tracking is making this possible.

Global navigational satellite systems (GNSS), such as the United States’ Global Position System (GPS), use satellites to communicate with a GPS receiver to precisely locate the GPS receiver. These ‘tracks,’ of sorts (or records of locations), can be reported remotely and recorded in as great a detail and at as great a frequency as desired. This amazing twenty-first century tool was first developed during World War II for United States Air Force. Today, people of many different walks of life use GPS tracking to locate and monitor a seemingly infinite number of different subjects. While a scientist may use GPS tracking to locate a particular animal in the wild, a business owner may us it to monitor his vehicles and equipment. Families are using GPS tracking today to find lost pets and rescue lost family members.

A GPS tracking device has been fastened to this young golden eagle in order to study its behaviors and better understand how young eagles adjust to living out on their own. This has been a mystery for scientists for quite some time. The scientists will receive periodic six-hour reports through this GPS tracking system. They hope with this information to unlock the young golden eagle’ world and better understand how young eagles make this major transition from their parents’ nest to living on their own.

By Greg Bartlett

Since the early 1990’s, the Virginia Aquarium has organized an annual dolphin count along Cape Henry and even into Chesapeake Bay. With 17 year’s worth of statistics pooled, the Virginia Aquarium is a good source from which to draw data on the numbers of dolphins that traffic north and south along the eastern coast of the United States. On August 1, 2009, volunteers met along these beaches in Virginia for this annual dolphin count – with lawn chairs and sun protection in tow. This year was unusual, however, for several reasons, but particularly because the Virginia Aquarium had set as a goal the calculating of the speed of dolphins. How could this be done? Could a volunteer do this even from land? With GPS tracking, the answer to both these questions is: yes!

GPS, which stands for the Global Positioning System, is the United States’ global navigational satellite system (GNSS) – the only system of its kind in full operation. GPS dates back to World War II and is operated by the United States Air Force. Since being released to public use in the 1980’s, GPS has become common-place for many people of the twenty-first century. The number of and variety of uses of GPS seem to only be as limited as the human imagination. GPS navigation and GPS tracking are both products of the U.S. Air Force’s Global Positioning System. Communications between satellites in GPS and GPS receivers allow the navigational coordinates of the GPS receivers to be calculated and logged 24/7. GPS tracking, in particular, monitors the “trail” made by any person, animal, or object – to which a GPS device is attached – to be tracked at any given period of time. How could such a system help in calculating the speed at which dolphins travel along the coast?

Volunteers were asked to help monitor the speed at which dolphins travel along the eastern coast of the United States by using GPS tracking units. A GPS tracking device was given to each volunteer involved with this aspect of the Virginia Aquarium’s 2009 annual dolphin count. Each volunteer was asked to then spot dolphins and choose one to follow by walking, in pace with the swimming dolphin, from the shoreline. Each time a volunteer witnessed the dolphin’s leaping from the water, the volunteers were to shoot a GPS position, while walking parallel with the dolphin on shore. Thus the longitudinal coordinates of the dolphin’s position could be accurately recorded over a brief period of time. The distance traveled could then be figured, and the speed could be calculated. Thanks to GPS tracking a difficult task was made simple!

By Greg Bartlett

Since the year 2000, the black bear population throughout the state of Mississippi has been considered to be in danger of extinction. Concern over the extinction of this species has given researchers reason to track the bear population as much as possible and work to provide it – from a human-perspective – a greater likelihood of survival. In order to do this, researchers have placed GPS tracking devices on black bears in order to monitor these bears’ locations.

A GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking device uses the technology of the United States Air Force’s Global Positioning System to track and monitor the location and speed of any given person or object – including animals. Scientist studying many different creatures have found GPS tracking to be an incredible asset in their work. The GPS tracking devices on black bears in Mississippi report data to the scientists’ computers on a daily basis. The researchers have learned through this information that the black bear population is on a rise. Just in July 2009 a male black bear and a female black bear were found together in Mississippi.

This unusual sighting provides encouraging information to the scientists that black bear population will continue to grow. By attaching a GPS tracking device to the female bear, after tranquilizing her, the scientists hope to visit her den in the winter to learn how many cubs she births. Though man has hunted the black bear in Mississippi and even destroyed much of the land on which the black bear lives, the black bear seems to be re-populating at a steady rate. This encouraging news has been made possible through GPS tracking.

By Greg Bartlett

In honor of some of her country’s military veterans – some of her country’s heroes – a bald eagle of North Carolina, named Liberty, was released in a July 4th, 2009 celebration after she had been nursed to health after a serious injury from a fight. State officials wanted to carefully monitor her location after her release. This may not have been possible except for GPS tracking device that was attached to Liberty.

In the World War II years of the 1940’s, development of the United State Air Force’s Global Positioning System (GPS) was begun. By the 1980’s the system had grown enough that it became available to the public. A receiver within a GPS device can communicate with the satellites in the United State Global Positioning System, making it possible to use GPS to create new routes (GPS navigation) and monitor a current route (GPS tracking). Professionals in many different fields, such as boating, medicine, vehicle leasing, conservation, and law enforcement, to name a few, have used GPS navigation to enhance their abilities of perception and to track the location of a given subject.

The GPS tracking of Liberty has been successful. As of July 21, 2009, Liberty had flown about 400 miles north to Virginia, probably somewhere along the Potomac River. Communication has not been possible since then, probably due to distance from cell phone towers through which the GPS device communicates, but Liberty continues to be monitored for more information. GPS tracking has made it possible for North Carolina officials to follow the tracks that Liberty has made in the sky.

By Greg Bartlett

Tracking birds is not a new concept. Scientists around the world have been tracking endangered species with small radio transmitters for years. They also commonly track birds as they migrate to learn more about them. And now animal rehab centers are getting on board.

A bald eagle, appropriately named Liberty, was recently rehabilitated in Huntersville, NC. Before she was released into the wild again, she was fitted with a real time GPS tracker so that the rehab center could track her movements. They even posted the map of her movements on their website so that others could see where Liberty has gone. The bird has flown more than 400 miles already, heading up towards Washington DC and the Potomac River.

The whole town and the surrounding areas have gotten on board and are tracking Liberty’s flight using maps on their home computers after seeing or hearing about her release on July 4th of this year. The bald eagle was released during the city of Davidson’s picnic and concert celebration in honor of the service men and women of the United States. This release of a rare bald eagle, a national symbol, sparked interest in the community.

Liberty was fitted with a special GPS tracker with a battery that will probably last a year. This unique kind of tracking device is designed to eventually fall off of the bird’s leg after a few years. But before the GPS tracker falls off, the rehab center hopes that they will be able to monitor Liberty’s health from afar.

By Greg Bartlett

Bird enthusiasts have studied migratory patterns and behaviors of bird groups for many years and have learned vital information from their observations. However, the drawback of these studies has always been the difficulty in keeping tabs on any particular bird. With the advent of GPS tracking, these studies have become less formidable. Scientists can tag individual birds with GPS tracking devices and monitor their movements over time in a way that is more detailed and precise than ever before.

The GPS tracking device is attached to a bird’s leg and can then send detailed information at regular intervals. Scientists can observe the bird’s precise location at any given time and can also view the data as a report over a period of days or weeks. In addition, they can view speed and direction of travel over time. The devices are accurate to within a few feet and provide information that might otherwise be extremely difficult or impossible to obtain. Endangered species of birds can also be monitored by tagging individuals with GPS tracking devices.

Birds have always proved fascinating for man. They symbolize freedom from restraints and the ability to do as they please. Studying bird patterns and behavior has also provided vital information for scientific study and for animal behaviorists. GPS tracking gives scientists another pair of eyes as they seek to understand the movements of bird groups and individuals. In this way, scientists can gain new information and fill in the gaps in their knowledge in order to gain a better understanding of our feathered counterparts.

By Greg Bartlett

Guess what? You have a new neighbor. No, not someone in the house across the street that’s been for sale for a year. Not even someone in the new apartment buildings down the street. No, your new neighbor lives in town, but you might not even see her. She’s a mountain lion.

Prescott, Arizona, did actually have a mountain lion which lived in town. She recently died when hit by an automobile, but she provided researchers with information about mountain lion habits and activities. Back in 2006, she was outfitted with a GPS tracking collar, which allowed the Game and Fish Department to monitor the mountain lion and see if she needed to be removed from the urban area. Instead, they learned new information about urban mountain lions, and the Prescott mountain lion lived for longer than most mountain lions, and, although spotted a few times, rarely threatened people or their pets.

GPS tracking enabled the Game and Fish Department to study this mountain lion closely, getting an idea of how mountain lions behave when living in urban areas. They were even able to change their policy about killing mountain lions just because of their urban location. The Prescott mountain lion also allowed researchers to find out new information about mountain lions and their habitats, eating patterns, and urban activities. Although the mountain lion once went after a house cat and ended up trapped, which was when the GPS tracking collar was put on, she evidently never hunted another pet and never injured any humans. Despite her close location to humans, the urban mountain lion apparently didn’t pose a serious threat.

The mountain lion is, depending on its variety, a somewhat endangered species. Studying these cats can be a great aid in determining how to help protect these animals from becoming increasingly threatened and eventually extinct. Using a GPS collar to study a mountain lion or other endangered creature allows researchers to learn more about habitats and ways to protect the animals while still permitting the animal to live in the wild. In Prescott, the GPS collar also protected the community, since the Game and Fish Department could monitor the mountain lion if she appeared to be threatening humans.

Research is a valuable aid to helping protect endangered and threatened species. Prescott’s mountain lion provided the Game and Fish Department with valuable new information about urban mountain lions, simply because she wore a GPS tracking collar. Maybe your new neighbor should, too.

By Greg Bartlett

Certain species of animals are becoming endangered or threatened, and researchers are constantly seeking ways to protect the animals. Part of the difficulty is being able to track the animals and observe them in their habitats.

However, technology now allows researchers to study and protect animals without being physically present.

GPS tracking devices are one effective option which allows researchers to study animals and their activities and to gather data to help discover ways to protect animals. For instance, in Alaska, researchers put GPS devices on 10 sandhill cranes and watched their migratory patterns. They were able to see where the birds went, tracking their progress in California, Washington, and Oregon before their return flight. While sandhill cranes are not a threatened species, being able to observe them is an example of how GPS tracking can be used to help monitor other, endangered species.

Other researchers are using GPS devices to track the endangered whale shark, monitoring their activities for months so that they can collect data to help find a way to protect the sharks before they become extinct. In Florida, some researchers put GPS tracking devices onto leatherback turtles, an endangered species, so that they could follow their progress and study their activities. They were even able to locate hatchlings through the GPS data and to help rescue some of the babies who got stuck away from the ocean.

Lynx, a threatened species, are being reintroduced into Colorado. Some of the lynx have been outfitted with collars and GPS devices, and through the GPS data, researchers recently were able to discover 10 new lynx kittens, an indication that the reintroduction program is successful. Furthermore, GPS data has given researchers information about lynx habitats, movement corridors, and breeding habits. They have also been monitoring the impact of human activities and of the forest’s health on the lynx. Researchers in Colorado are even using GPS to study hares which the lynx eat and which help to ensure litters of lynx kittens if there are plenty of hares available for the lynx to eat.

Humans shoulder an important role in protecting endangered species. Researchers seeking to discover ways to protect the disappearing animals can use GPS devices to give them the precise location of a particular animal, which will enable them to track its movements, patterns, and activities. With the knowledge GPS can provide, researchers are one step closer to protecting endangered species.