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Wildlife abounds in the Boston area, specifically in the Swift River and Wachusett Reservoir. Unseasonably warm weather means people are heading outdoors to take advantage of all the activities they will soon be unable to enjoy, like fishing. All along the lower portion of the Swift River, Ted Merchant and Larry Bush, from Trout Unlimited, have been catching plenty of fish from the usually productive region of the river. Less common, however, are the loads of salmon being caught farther upstream. In addition to unusual numbers of fish, there are also reports of alarmingly large populations of seagulls gathering around the Wachusett Reservoir. Scientists are using GPS tracking, among other things, to understand where the gulls are coming from and why.

Just above the Route 9 bridge in Belchertown, the Swift River is home to dozens of landlocked salmon. The excess of salmon was brought to the area by natural causes. The large amounts of rainfall brought on the area by Tropical Storm Irene caused flooding which carried the salmon from the reservoir over the spillway. The team from Trout Unlimited have had success catching some surprisingly large salmon using proven fly fishing techniques. In fact, they’ve had so much success, that they are offering free fly-tying workshops every Thursday at 6 p.m.. The workshops are open to the public and held at the Mass Audubon’s Broadmeadow Brook Sanctuary.

The dense population of gulls congregating at the Wachusett Reservior, however, is believed to be caused by human influence and likely has much more serious consequences. DCR scientist Dan Clark is leading a team to study the massive influx of gulls. He’s attached GPS tracking devices to study the migration habits of the birds.

The GPS tracking has shown that the gulls have travelled from as far as Iceland, stopping at the reservoir in order to feed on their way back from breeding at the Great Lakes. The over-population is believed to be due to people illegally feeding the gulls. It is dangerous for too many birds to gather at reservoirs, as their feces and parasites contaminate our drinking water.

Photo Courtesy of xlibber (creative commons)

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Snow leopards have been on the endangered species list since 1972 without any indication of making a comeback. Now conservationists are seeking to understand the migratory and social patterns of these elusive creatures in order to help protect their environments. These animals are solitary and nocturnal, living in the high mountains of Central Asia and the Himalayas; since these conditions are not suitable for humans, researchers cannot always know exactly how these animals live. They hope information retrieved from GPS tracking collars will give them the information they need to establish protected areas for these magnificent creatures.

In order to collar a snow leopard, researchers use non-invasive foot snares that contain a radio device; when an animal triggers the snare, a signal is sent to alert the research team. The animal is then anesthetized, assessed for important data, collared, and released. Biologists are able to record the age, sex, weight, and size of the animal for accurate identification.

The animal is then tracked via satellite. After 14 months, the collar falls off. Several leopards have been collared over the last couple of years, including Khashaa and her male cub just recently. Researchers are excited about this collaring because they have yet to observe how a male cub interacts with its mother before heading out on its own.

In 2010 Taeger and Zaraa were tagged, a mother-daughter pair; since females are harder to track because of their secretive nature, the team is anxious for the opportunity to observe the movement patterns of an independent male for the purpose of setting boundaries for a reserve.

Researchers hope to find out more accurately the snow leopards’ range of activity and how much room they need to not only survive but thrive. Current studies estimate a range as wide as 65 sq. km to 1000 sq. km. Brad Rutherford, director of the Snow Leopard Trust, notes, “You cannot have an appropriately sized protected area with that kind of discrepancy.” With locals and hunters encroaching on the snow leopards’ hunting grounds, conservationists fear further endangerment of the species. They hope that with more accurate data, they can fight for snow leopard reserves in order to protect these animals from food shortages, retaliatory killings, and poachers.

Without better protection for these majestic and beautiful animals, snow leopards may die out altogether. Conservationists hope to use data collected from GPS tracking collars to lobby governments for not only reserve land but also laws to curtail the killing of these endangered animals. With the help of modern technology, the snow leopard may once again flourish on the mountaintop.

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OR-7, the name given to a young Oregon wolf by researchers who are tracking his whereabouts via GPS device fitted back in February, is famous wherever he meanders.  The wolf’s family is originally from Idaho, and were the topic of a recent RMT article as there is a kill order in place for both OR-7′s brother and alpha male father.

OR-7 is on the hunt for a mate outside of his home territory, and his search has taken a long, zig-zag route over a mind boggling distance.  This is natural, says Ed Bangs, a former US Fish and Wildlife Service wolf coordinator, now retired.  “If you connect all the dots, she walked something like 3,000 miles.  Wolves are amazing travelers.”  All wolves reach a point in their development, usually around two years of age, when they leave their territory to seek out a mate.

OR-7 left Idaho and reached the Rogue-Umpqua Divide, ironically the very place Oregon’s last known wolf was killed in 1946.  He followed the boundary of Crater Lake National Park and then headed to Upper Klamath Lake.  From here, he trekked back up the Cascades and crested just south of Mount McLaughlin.

No cattle have been killed by the wolf thus far in his extensive journey across Oregon.  This is good news for the wolf, who has captured the hearts of the public, hoping to sneak a peek at this beautiful creature.  Liz Parrish has been lucky enough to see OR-7 in front of her backcountry lodge, locking eyes with him for a moment.  “I was stunned – it was such a huge animal…we had a stare-down that seemed like a long time, but was probably just a few seconds.  He just evaporated into the trees.  I stayed there a while, hoping he might come back.  He didn’t.”

There are those that aren’t thrilled to hear there is a wolf in the area, namely cattle ranchers like Nathan Jackson who owns a ranch on Upper Klamath Lake.  “In this country, we worked really hard to exterminate wolves 50 years ago or so, and there was a reason.  A lot of people who don’t have a direct tie to the agricultural community tend to view wolves as majestic, beautiful creatures.  They don’t seem so majestic and beautiful when they are ripping apart calves and colts.”

There is a naming contest sponsored by conservation group Oregon Wild in the hopes that if the public helps in the naming process, it will make the wolf more well known, possibly saving his life by giving him a sort of celebrity status.  The contest has received entries from all over, including one from Finland.

Researchers do not know if OR-7 will be successful in his quest for a mate.  All he can do is wander and leave scent markers to hopefully attract a female his way.  Bangs says most of the wolves in this predicament become “biological dead ends.”  He adds that even if OR-7 dies in his quest to reproduce, his scent markers will remain, attracting more wolves and reestablishing the species in this area.  From what researchers have seen, he may not be alone as other tracks have been spotted last winter, and others in muddy areas in May.

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A wolf from the Imnaha Pack is moving south through Oregon. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is monitoring the wolf’s movements through the mountains of Grant County. The wolf split from its pack in early September.

This wolf is about two years old and was outfitted with a GPS collar earlier this year. The wolf is sometimes referred to as “Oregon 7” because of the number on the tracking collar.
Even though wildlife officials don’t know where the wolf is headed, they can continue to monitor its movements with the wolf’s GPS collar. Officials from ODFW check the wolf’s position several times each day, and the information is transmitted to ODFW staff throughout the region.
The wolf’s pack, which lives in Wallowa County, have had other young wolves leave in the past.
Other Tracked Animals
But these wolves are not the only animals being tracked in North America. The Canadian government has been tracking caribou since 1992. Now bears, moose, deer, and wolves have also been fitted with GPS tracking collars to allow the government and other organizations to monitor these species. The information from the GPS tracking collars not only protects these animals from poaching but it gives us more information about their behaviors and habits.
Around the world, scientists are keeping track of many different species with GPS tracking systems. From elephants in Africa to jaguars in South America, GPS tracking devices are being used to protect them from extinction.

Technological Advances
When GPS tracking collars were first being used on animals, they would last for a very short period of time. One of the first tracking collars used on African elephants weighed just over 26 pounds and had a battery life of only 10 days, with just two readings each day. Over the past few years, lighter and more advanced tracking collars have been created. Now most GPS collars weigh under 10 pounds and can last as long as a year, while taking dozens of readings each day.

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The Godley Valley area of New Zealand’s South Island is not a place where you would expect to see hedgehogs running around with small GPS tracking in the form of backpacks affixed to them, but that is exactly what is happening as researchers from New Zealand’s University of Otago seek to study the creatures’ behavior. They are particularly interested in their impact on native fauna as hedgehogs are a species introduced to the area rather than a native. Because of that, they have no natural predators on the island and their population is rapidly increasing. Conservationists are also concerned about their impact on native giant snails, weta, certain endemic insects, lizards and ground-nesting birds as hedgehogs happily munch on all of these.

Hedgehogs are smaller than porcupines and do not have poisonous spikes; they curl up into a ball when threatened. They are native to northern and western Europe and were introduced to New Zealand in the 19th century by Europeans as they settled the island. They are considered a serious pest in areas of Scotland and New Zealand because of their penchant for eating native wildlife and vegetation.

Due to the threat the hedgehog poses to native species, the University researchers decided to utilize GPS tracking to get an accurate picture of their habits and travel patterns. Twenty-eight hedgehogs were equipped with the GPS backpacks, giving data on their positions at any time and in any season. Data was collected every five minutes for five days. The units were designed to not interfere with the natural movements of the hedgehogs; they are lightweight and stay in place as the animal moves through brush and vegetation, and even as they defensively roll and nest. It was discovered that while they sometimes traveled as far as 1.5km in one direction, they also had favorite spots where they spent more time searching for food.

Hedgehogs are the smallest animals to be equipped with GPS devices and they have worked out well, supplying valuable information to researchers. Conservationists will be able to utilize the data as they seek to protect native vegetation and wildlife from these cute, but potentially threatening critters. By using GPS the guesswork and luck is taken out of the equation; the animals’ natural habits are able to be studied and analyzed. This would be very difficult to achieve using traditional research methods. It is a small investment that yields very accurate and important information.

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Thirty-six desert tortoises in the desert just outside Las Vegas, have been attached to small radio transmitters, as reported by SignOnSanDiego.com. Twenty-four of those tortoises have also been equipped with GPS tracking devices in an effort to gain information about this endangered species that could help avoid extinction. These tracking devices have been attached to the slow-moving desert species somewhat flat, green and brown shells.

GPS tracking devices, along with the radio transmitters, may bring new hope to the survival of the desert tortoise. Paula Kahn, the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research’s conservation program manager, explains “Our mission is to aid in the recovery of the desert tortoise. We are using science to refine translocation methods that we can use to ensure desert tortoises have the greatest chance for survival.”

The Desert Tortoise Conservation Center is a partnership between the San Diego Zoo and federal and state agencies, working together to prevent the extinction of this dwindling desert species. The conservation center houses an estimated three thousand desert tortoises. When a tortoise becomes ill, injured, or is found in a city, it is often brought to this facility to be rehabilitated and released into the conservation area. During 2010, one hundred desert tortoises were released back into the desert.

The desert is a difficult place to survive but there are a number of creatures, such as the desert tortoise, that have thrived in this climate for centuries. Unfortunately land development has reduced the desert tortoise’s natural habitat, and certain plant species are overwhelming the natural plants in the area, which make up the desert tortoise’s diet. GPS tracking devices and radio transmitters can help researchers better understand the habitat conditions and movement patterns of the desert tortoise. With the information collected, scientists hope to slow and eventually reverse the decrease in desert tortoise population.

Article Written by Marisa O’Connor

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A variety of factors threaten the survival of the majestic elephant despite efforts by various national parks, like Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park, to preserve them.  Even with 11,747 square kilometers to roam, over 12,000 elephants are jeopardized by drought, habitat loss, and poaching.

Using GPS collars, park officials plan to study the animals’ movements throughout the oldest and largest of Africa’s national parks.

This is a joint effort between the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Researchers will study 8 male and 8 female elephants for 20 months.

“The collar that we just fitted has a GPS component and a VHF component,” said Elphos Bitok, a KWS research scientist.

“The GPS component communicates with the satellite and the satellite will relay back the information via Internet where you can be able to assess on real-time basis where the elephant is.”

The rangers claim that GPS tracking collars will help keep the elephants safe from the threat of poachers and conversely, aid humans that may come in direct contact with an elephant (one of the world’s most dangerous animals) to divert disaster.  Researchers wish to find effective ways to step in to help a human who is under threat of elephant aggression.

IFAW is footing the bill, its president/CEO Fred O’Regan claiming it is more costly to lose elephants than to save them.  He says they also plan to study the elephants’ migratory habits, as they tend to follow a certain path, destroying anything along the way.  This will tell them exactly what land must be preserved to ensure their survival, yet at the same time, keep villages safe from the threat of being destroyed by a herd of migrating elephants.

Will this technology be the thing that saves the species, or will this lead to elephants overcrowding spaces and attacking other species?  Reports of elephants attacking other species have recently come from another one of Africa’s wildlife reserves (Kruger National Park).

Overcrowding or not, these wildlife preserves are the last chance in today’s world for elephant survival.  GPS tracking collars could be the best way to save the species man’s greed almost annihilated.

Do you think that GPS tracking collars are an effective way to save elephants?

Article Written by Khristen Foss

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Researchers have found GPS tracking devices useful in gathering information on many species of wildlife, from Kenyan lions to Bengal tigers. Conservationist programs all over the world have discovered the value of these tiny information gatherers. These amazing devices are satellite powered, and are unique because they function in almost any location in the world. Although they are used in many areas of life, the realm of science has found GPS tracking units particularly useful. Scientists often use GPS technology to follow an animal in its natural habitat.

Usually an animal is caught and fitted with a GPS tracking device such as a collar, and then set free to resume its normal habits. Researchers can then track the animal’s location from the signals they receive from the GPS device. Scientists have used GPS technology to learn more about an animal’s migration pathway, feeding habits, and even disease that may be threatening a population.

Conservationists in Nepal are currently experimenting with GPS tracking on Royal Bengal tigers. These beautiful animals are found mostly in Nepal, Bhutan, and India. As an endangered species, Bengal tigers are prime candidates for GPS tracking studies. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently equipped a Royal Bengal tiger with a GPS tracking system. The purpose of the study is to find out more about Bengal tigers’ habitat, especially breeding grounds. The number of Bengal tigers has dramatically dropped since 1900, mostly because of poachers.

War in Nepal was also a contributing factor, since the conflict drove some tigers from their natural habitat. The WWF researchers hope to gain enough information from this study to preserve the tigers’ habitat in order to facilitate breeding. World Wildlife Fund also plans to develop a strategy to protect the endangered tigers from poachers.

Conservationists in Kenya and Tanzania are using GPS tracking devices for a different purpose. These activists are fitting lions with GPS collars not to protect the lions, but to protect the lion’s prey. In some areas of Africa, many livestock are lost due to frequent lion attacks. The local conservationist organization in Kenya, Living with the Lions Trust, plans to further test the GPS tracking system this summer. Initial tests have proven successful, and the conservationists involved hope the satellite tracking system will provide a solution to the lion attacks.

Many scientists in the past have used GPS tracking to assist various animal populations. These conservationists in Africa and the Himalayas are also discovering how useful GPS technology can be.

Article Written By Greg Bartlett

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Scientists are increasingly using GPS tracking collars to study animals in the wild. It’s an incredible way to collect data that would have been a hugely inaccurate guessing game in times past. As we all know, wild animals are shy of people and will often go far out of their way to avoid contact. Still, as developed areas around cities spread out, these animals have to move or adapt. Biologists and conservationists and other scientists are greatly interested in the effects of human development on ecosystems, and many are now employing GPS to help them gather unprecedented amounts of data.

The most difficult part is live-trapping the animal and equipping it with a GPS collar or chip. After that, the scientist can just sit back and watch. The GPS device sends out a signal several times a minute, and satellites pick up those signals and calculate the device’s coordinates. Computers plug those coordinates into maps, and the data is now easy to study.
A recent fascinating example is the work of Roland Kays, the curator of mammals at the New York State Museum, and his partner Scott LaPoint, a graduate student working on his dissertation. They are collecting data on the movements of fishers in urban areas. A fisher is a weasel-like creature closely related to a marten. Its natural habitat is forest-land, and it especially prefers continuous forest, but urban development is breaking up forests into isolated chunks. The fishers who have stayed in these areas seem to be very resourceful in figuring out how to travel from forest patch to forest patch.
While LaPoint is keeping most of the data under wraps until his dissertation is complete, he and Kays shared some of it through a recent article and a website where others can also watch the movements of “Phineas,” a fisher who has revealed some interesting information. The two collaborators watch his movements through the computer and then, when something makes them curious, they go to the spot and check out the surroundings and even the fisher’s tracks in the snow. Kays’ favorite discovery: nearly every time Phineas crosses a busy street, he uses culverts to get safely under the road. This recent study reinforces the fact that as more scientist gather GPS data like this, we can gain a greater understanding of how human movement affects natural habitats.

Article Written by Greg Bartlett

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Few Americans have spent any length of time in Sub-Saharan Africa. Whether because of the heat, the dangers, or simply fear of the unknown, they seldom venture onto the Savanna, and thus have little understanding of its wildlife. Typically, an American’s closest encounter with a lion is from behind a sheet of specialized glass at the local zoo. The wild lions of Africa experience a far different lifestyle from their cultivated counterparts – one which only GPS trackers are able to record.

Recently, a group of scientists began using GPS tracking devices to monitor the location of wild lions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their purpose, however, was not entirely to protect the lions, but also to defend African livestock from attack. Apparently, the animals’ owners were tired of losing valuable property to the paws of hungry, stronger wildlife. The trackers were placed around the necks of “problem lions” that were known for their destructive behavior. Once the tracking collar was activated, the location of its lion could be consistently monitored.

On the flip side of the coin, Africa’s lions are themselves at risk and in need of protection from poachers who would seek to destroy them. In these situations the tracking collar worn by a lion is not merely a means of protecting his prey, but also of assuring that he does not fall victim himself. If a lion goes to close to a location where poachers are known to hunt, the caretakers overseeing him can quickly intervene to protect Africa’s wildlife from harm.

Africa’s population of wild lions has dropped excessively in recent years. A century ago 100,000 of these magnificent creatures could be counted across the continent. Today, a shocking 23,000 roam free. And while much of the killing was done by owners seeking to protect their livestock, many lions were needlessly slain by greedy poachers looking to make a mint off of their pelts.

Whether out of a desire to save the lion or his prey, GPS tracking has become a popular means of watching over the activity of Africa’s population of lions. Scientists and land owners alike are intrigued by the concept. Lions may be one of Earth’s most dangerous predators, but they also represent and irreplaceable part of the world’s wildlife. The use of GPS technology to monitor them gives us a chance to protect not only Africa’s cultivated animal population, but also its wild one.

Article Written by Greg Bartlett

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