GPS Collars Research Articles

Home range size and habitat selection of owned outdoor domestic cats (Felis catus) in urban southwestern Ontario.

Domestic cats (Felis catus) play a dual role in society as both companion animals and predators. When provided with unsupervised outdoor access, cats can negatively impact native wildlife and create public health and animal welfare challenges. The effective implementation of management strategies, such as buffer zones or curfews, requires an understanding of home range size, the factors that influence their movement, and the types of habitats they use. Here, we used a community/citizen scientist approach to collect movement and habitat use data using GPS collars on owned outdoor cats in the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge-Guelph region, southwestern Ontario, Canada. Mean (±SD) 100% minimum convex polygon home range size was 8±8 ha (range: 0.34-38 ha) and was positively associated with road density but not with intrinsic factors such as boldness, sex, or age. With regards to habitat selection, cats used greenspaces, roads, and agricultural land less often than predicted but strongly selected for impervious surfaces (urban areas other than greenspaces or roads). Our results suggest that wildlife near buildings and residential areas are likely at the greatest risk of cat predation and that a buffer size of 840 m would be needed to restrict cats from entering areas of conservation concern.

Highway underpasses offer little fragmentation relief for desert bighorn sheep near Mojave National Preserve, CA

To improve wildlife connectivity across the U.S., managers need to identify and prioritize movement barriers in need of mitigation. Roadway barriers may be semi-permeable and allow some movement either at-grade or via non-wildlife underpasses, but permeability can depend on species-specific behaviors and underpass characteristics. We used a combination of trail cameras and GPS collars to monitor desert bighorn (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) movement near highways and use of non-wildlife underpasses along I-15 and I-40 near Mojave National Preserve, CA. After year 1, we installed guzzlers near target underpasses in a before-after-control-impact (BACI) framework to assess changes in desert bighorn detection over 2 years post-installation. GPS collar data confirmed that desert bighorn moved close enough to 10 of 11 focal underpasses to easily access and use these structures to cross I-15 and I-40. Trail cameras at five sites recorded desert bighorn using habitat very near underpasses and even resting in a culvert tunnel, but no data indicated desert bighorn used underpasses or culverts to cross either highway. Meanwhile, species including coyote (Canis latrans), bobcat (Lynx rufus), and feral burro (Equus asinus) regularly used monitored underpasses. Adding a novel water resource did not significantly increase desert bighorn detection rate on underpass cameras at impact sites relative to control sites after 2 years, and no images suggested bighorn used the installed guzzlers. Patterns of desert bighorn habitat use in the region and lack of observed highway crossings during the study indicate generally low permeability of I-15 and I-40 for this species and a mismatch between non-wildlife underpass locations, design, and desert bighorn behavior.

Health and environmental effects to wildlife from radio telemetry and tracking devices-state of the science and best management practices.

This paper discusses the potential health risks and benefits to tagged wildlife from the use of radio tracking, radio telemetry, and related microchip and data-logger technologies used to study, monitor and track mostly wildlife in their native habitats. Domestic pets, especially canids, are briefly discussed as radio-tagging devices are also used on/in them. Radio tracking uses very high frequency (VHF), ultra-high frequency (UHF), and global positioning system (GPS) technologies, including via satellites where platform terminal transmitters (PTTs) are used, as well as geo-locating capabilities using satellites, radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips, and passive integrated responder (PIT) tags, among others. Such tracking technologies have resulted in cutting-edge findings worldwide that have served to protect and better understand the behaviors of myriad wildlife species. As a result, scientists, field researchers, technicians, fish and wildlife biologists and managers, plus wildlife and other veterinarian specialists, frequently opt for its use without fully understanding the ramifications to target species and their behaviors. These include negative physiological effects from electromagnetic fields (EMF) to which many nonhuman species are exquisitely sensitive, as well as direct placement/use-attachment impacts from radio collars, transmitters, and implants themselves. This paper provides pertinent studies, suggests best management practices, and compares technologies currently available to those considering and/or using such technologies. The primary focus is on the health and environmental risk/benefit decisions that should come into play, including ethical considerations, along with recommendations for more caution in the wildlife and veterinarian communities before such technologies are used in the first place.

65 Effect of post-weaning fecal egg count EBV on grazing ewe behavior after weaning

Abstract Post weaning fecal egg count (PFEC) estimated breeding value (EBV) has been recently linked with improved immune competence and lamb survival to weaning, thus improving health though selection. Animal movement is also linked to animal health, however little is known about behavior differences in sheep with divergent PFEC EBV. Thirty Katahdin ewes were selected after weaning, from the Southwest Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Where high PFEC ewes (EBV > 172) and 15 low PFEC (EBV < -84) were selected. Upon placement into pastures, ewes were fitted with Digitanimal GPS collars that measure GPS location every 15 min and store data on a micro SD card. Additional data collection included bi-weekly body weights, FAMACHA scores, body condition scores and fecal egg count. There was no difference in any physiological measurement in these ewes for the duration of this 4-week study. However, significant differences were observed between groups for daily distance traveled. On average, High-PFEC ewes traveled 4.52 km, where low ewes traveled only 4.16 km (P < 0.0001). The average distance traveled between GPS signals (every 15 min) was 48.6 m for high ewes and 47.0 m for Low-PFEC ewes (P < 0.0001). Interestingly, the time of day where maximum activity occurred (1506 h vs 1448 h; High and Low-PFEC respectively) was not different, nor was the distance those ewes traveled in that hour (522.6 vs 519.2 m). These data provide a preliminary snapshot of movement differences that occur between PFEC groups and may inform future studies to evaluate linkage between health and movement in grazing livestock.

Cat’s Paw: Tracking the Home Range of Domestic Cats in Mount Makiling Forest Reserve

Domestic cats are known to impact wildlife populations negatively; thus, it is imperative to determine how they contribute to changes in ecosystems and to create preventive measures to counteract these impacts on wildlife. This study tracked five males and one female domestic cat inside the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve, Laguna, the Philippines, with GPS collars from November 2019–March 2020. Results showed that their average 95% minimum convex polygon home range is 51.62 ha, whereas their average 95% kernel density estimate home range is 81.27 ha. Male home ranges were larger than the female, but there was no difference between day and night home ranges. The various prey items taken home consisted of lizards, rats, and bats, which were mostly native or endemic to the area. The predation return rate was 1.1/mo for all cats. Our results showed that the cats were free-ranging through the forest reserve, which may potentially impact the protection measures practiced in the reserve.

A follow‐up assessment of wildlife‐permeable fences used in the reintroduction of bison

Fences are an important tool for anchoring reintroduced species to a target area, and there is a need to understand their effect on other wildlife species. However, little is understood about the response of wildlife to newly constructed fences over time. We evaluated fences used in the reintroduction of plains bison Bison bison to Banff National Park, Canada. These fences were designed to contain reintroduced bison while allowing for the free passage of other wildlife. In 2020, we provided an assessment of the permeability of several fence designs. Here, we investigated longer‐term fence effects and addressed the emerging question of whether wildlife adapt their behaviours to navigate fences more effectively over time. We used an expanded array of remote cameras and a before‐after‐control‐impact design to evaluate changes in detection probability for 12 species. Next, we tested for changes in crossing rates and travel speeds of migratory elk Cervus canadensis using 22 years of GPS collar data. Finally, we examined whether species detections or elk movements changed over time after fences were constructed. Changes in detection probability near fences were inconsistent between species. Elk fence crossing rates decreased after fence construction, and travel speeds slowed by a negligible amount. However, these effects were temporary – wildlife learned to cross fences more efficiently over time. Elk movement metrics followed a non‐linear pattern after the appearance of fences and began returning to pre‐fence states after approximately two years. Our study provides new information on the implementation of fences for conservation objectives while minimizing impacts on sympatric wildlife.

Shrub avoidance by an open-adapted ground squirrel in a shrub-encroached environment.

Habitat loss and degradation are leading drivers of the widespread decline in wildlife populations, and understanding how wildlife perceive and navigate their environment is useful for predicting responses to future landscape changes. Small mammals play an important role in their environments, however, many species are threatened by rapid environmental change. The Harris' antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus harrisii) is endemic to the Sonoran Desert but faces multiple landscape changes due to anthropogenic activity. We fitted A. harrisii with radio collars to quantify resource selection and better understand how further environmental change may affect squirrels. Squirrels exhibited differential selection depending on behavior and scale. When selecting for microsites suitable for burrows and alarm calling (i.e., fourth-order selection), squirrels selected for both cacti and shrub portions of the habitat. Overall habitat selection within home ranges (i.e., third-order selection) showed selection against shrub patches, however, suggesting that further shrub encroachment may have consequences for A. harrisii behavior and distribution.

Rushing for "burned" food: Why and how does a group of patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) reach freshly burned areas?

Recently, considerable attention has been paid to animal adaptations to anthropogenic environments, such as foraging in burned areas where plants are promoted to regenerate by anthropogenic burning. However, among primates, reports on the utilization of resources that are available immediately after burning have been limited to a few primate species. In this study, we investigated and compared the activity budgets and food categories of a group of patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) in freshly burned areas by comparing them with those in previously burned areas and unburned areas. We also assessed the proportion of time spent in the freshly burned area before and after the fire: GPS collars were fitted to five of the six adults in the group, and their patterns when they traveled toward freshly burned and unburned feeding areas were compared. Patas monkeys spent more time in freshly burned areas after the fire, and they visited such areas mostly for feeding, particularly on roasted seeds of Cissus populnea. Furthermore, patas monkeys traveled faster and in a more synchronized way toward freshly burned areas. This "apparent goal-directed" travel began at least 1h before arriving. Results indicate that the group recognized freshly burned areas as valuable, and the monkeys were able to travel in a goal-directed manner to them despite their variable locations. We suggest that smoke from freshly burned areas provides a visual cue with which to orient to the burned areas. Our results also support the notion that some primates are flexible enough to adapt to and benefit from anthropogenic environmental changes.

Rutting and rambling: Movement characteristics reveal partial migration in adult male white-tailed deer at a latitude void of chronic and severe environmental fluctuations.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are generally considered a home-ranging species, although northern populations may migrate between summer and winter ranges to balance resource requirements with environmental stressors. We evaluated annual home range characteristics of adult bucks (n = 30) fitted with GPS collars from 2017 to 2021 in central Mississippi with time series segmentation and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) to determine if individuals employed varying movement strategies. We found 67% of bucks displayed a "sedentary" strategy characterized by a single KDE home range polygon with a mean size of 361 ha. The remaining 33% of bucks employed a "mobile" strategy characterized by multiple home range segments with a mean size of 6530 ha. Sedentary bucks went on an average of 5.9 excursions annually while mobile bucks went on 0.8. Excursion timing for both strategies peaked in breeding season and early spring. Mobile buck home ranges were separated by a mean distance of 7.1 km and mean duration in one home range segment before traveling to another was 78 days. Our study provides the first evidence that partial migration may apply to a larger proportion of lower-latitude deer populations than originally thought, though the environmental justification for this partial migration is not clear.

Bison and bighorns: Assessing the potential impacts of reintroducing a large herbivore to a mountainous landscape.

The reintroduction of wildlife can have significant ecological impacts by altering the flow of energy in food webs. Recently, plains bison were reintroduced to part of Banff National Park after a 150-year absence. The large herbivore's reintroduction was expected to have far-reaching effects on the ecosystem due to its significant energy requirements and interactions with habitat and other sympatric species. This study explores the impacts of bison reintroduction on the movement and resource use of another large-bodied grazer, the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Between 2018 and 2021, we collected data from GPS collars fit on 39 bighorn sheep and 11 bison. We analyzed home range patterns, resource selection, and interactions to investigate the potential for interspecific competition, facilitation, and resource complementarity. At the population level, bison and bighorn sheep exhibited low levels of spatial overlap and there was strong evidence of resource separation in all seasons. Interactions between species did not appear to affect sheep movement rates; however, we did see differences in forage selection patterns for sheep with overlapping home ranges with bison. Collectively, results did not support the potential for competition or facilitation between bison and bighorn sheep and instead provided the strongest evidence of complementarity.

Consistent individual differences in cattle grazing patterns

Cattle grazing patterns can have a significant impact on the economic and environmental sustainability of rangelands and cattle production. Grazing patterns appear to be driven by consistent individual differences in cattle, deemed ‘grazing personalities’. Optimal distribution of cattle on rangelands can be manipulated by alteration of the environment, like adding water, supplement, or fencing to targeted sites, but few studies address how these management tools are impacting grazing patterns of individual cattle. Our study sought to fill this gap in knowledge by investigating consistency of grazing patterns among fifty cattle, fitted with GPS collars, across two years given the addition of a water site at higher elevation prior to year two. We used Bayesian multivariate mixed models to evaluate consistency, evidenced by among-individual correlations across years with confidence intervals that do not cross 0. We found that cattle were consistent in all rangeland use metrics across years after the addition of the new water site: elevation (Estimate = 0.38, CI = [0.07,0.64]), slope (Estimate = 0.59, CI = [0.21,0.86]), distance to water (Estimate = 0.38 CI = [0.03,0.67]), distance to supplement (Estimate = 0.42, CI = [0.04,0.72]), distance to loafing sites (Estimate = 0.68, CI = [0.24,0.95]), except for distance traveled (Estimate = 0.16,CI = [−0.18, 0.48]). Cows that ventured higher on rangeland in year one (Estimate = 0.84 CI = [0.59,0.98]) and year two (Estimate = 0.93 CI = [0.79,0.99]) and further from watering sites in year two (Estimate = 0.72 CI = [0.41,0.92]) also had more within-individual variability in their grazing patterns than those that stayed at lower elevation and closer to water. These results indicate differences in plasticity or variability can be linked to grazing personalities. There was strong evidence that temperature affected grazing distribution such that on hotter days, cows clumped closer to water and loafing sites, were found at lower elevation, and traveled less far, not reaching supplement sites that were placed at the higher elevations. Based on results of this study, ranchers should consider the effectiveness of management tools on individual cattle and conduct cost-benefit analyses of tools implemented for specific behavior types of cattle. Cattle with behavior types demonstrating more within-cow variability and more ‘hill-climbing’ will impact how cattle graze especially patchy landscapes where resources are distributed across elevation, thus ranchers could potentially match cattle types to rangeland characteristics.

Evaluating movement-based methods for estimating the frequency and timing of parturition in mule deer

BackgroundInformation on reproduction of harvested species such as mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is vital for conservation and management. Furthermore, parturition in ungulates may be detected using patterns of movement logged by GPS transmitters. Several movement-based methods have been developed to detect parturition in ungulates including the Peterson method, behavioral change point analysis (BCPA), rolling minimum convex polygons (rMCP), individual-based method (IBM), and population-based method (PBM). Our objectives were to (1) test the accuracy and the precision of each previously described method and (2) develop an improved method optimized for mule deer that incorporated aspects of the other methods.MethodsWe determined parturition timing and status for female mule deer fitted with GPS collars and implanted with vaginal implant transmitters (VITs). We used movement patterns before and after parturition to set movement thresholds for each movement-based method. Following model training, we used location and birth date data from an external dataset to test the effectiveness of each movement-based method. Additionally, we developed a novel method for detecting parturition called the analysis of parturition indicators (API). We used two regression analyses to determine the accuracy and precision of estimates generated by each method.ResultsThe six methods we employed varied in accuracy, with the API, rMCP, and BCPA being most accurate. Precision also varied among methods, with the API, rMCP, and PBM generating the most precise estimates of parturition dates. The API and the rMCP performed similarly and better overall than any of the other existing methods.ConclusionsWe found that movement-based methods could be used to accurately and precisely detect parturition in mule deer. Further, we determined that the API and rMCP methods had the greatest overall success at detecting parturition in mule deer. The relative success of the API and rMCP may be attributed to the fact that both methods use home range size to detect parturition and are validated using known parturition dates of collared deer. We present the API as an efficient method of estimating birth status and timing of parturition of mule deer fitted with GPS transmitters, as well as affirm the effectiveness of a previously developed method, rMCP.

Movement ecology of an endangered mesopredator in a mining landscape

BackgroundEfficient movement and energy expenditure are vital for animal survival. Human disturbance can alter animal movement due to changes in resource availability and threats. Some animals can exploit anthropogenic disturbances for more efficient movement, while others face restricted or inefficient movement due to fragmentation of high-resource habitats, and risks associated with disturbed habitats. Mining, a major anthropogenic disturbance, removes natural habitats, introduces new landscape features, and alters resource distribution in the landscape. This study investigates the effect of mining on the movement of an endangered mesopredator, the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus). Using GPS collars and accelerometers, we investigate their habitat selection and energy expenditure in an active mining landscape, to determine the effects of this disturbance on northern quolls.MethodsWe fit northern quolls with GPS collars and accelerometers during breeding and non-breeding season at an active mine site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. We investigated broad-scale movement by calculating the movement ranges of quolls using utilisation distributions at the 95% isopleth, and compared habitat types and environmental characteristics within observed movement ranges to the available landscape. We investigated fine-scale movement by quolls with integrated step selection functions, assessing the relative selection strength for each habitat covariate. Finally, we used piecewise structural equation modelling to analyse the influence of each habitat covariate on northern quoll energy expenditure.ResultsAt the broad scale, northern quolls predominantly used rugged, rocky habitats, and used mining habitats in proportion to their availability. However, at the fine scale, habitat use varied between breeding and non-breeding seasons. During the breeding season, quolls notably avoided mining habitats, whereas in the non-breeding season, they frequented mining habitats equally to rocky and riparian habitats, albeit at a higher energetic cost.ConclusionMining impacts northern quolls by fragmenting favoured rocky habitats, increasing energy expenditure, and potentially impacting breeding dispersal. While mining habitats might offer limited resource opportunities in the non-breeding season, conservation efforts during active mining, including the creation of movement corridors and progressive habitat restoration would likely be useful. However, prioritising the preservation of natural rocky and riparian habitats in mining landscapes is vital for northern quoll conservation.

Influence of wildfire and feral horse use on mule deer summer range occupancy

Context Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are a species of social, economic and cultural importance that are experiencing a population decline throughout much of their range. Factors such as disease, landscape-level changes in nutritional output of forage species, winter habitat degradation, habitat fragmentation, competition for resources with both domestic and wild ungulates, and predation have all been implicated in the decline. Recently, summer habitat quality in Oregon has been identified as a potentially strong limiting factor for mule deer population performance. Competition and habitat degradation from feral horses (Equus caballus) have been proposed as factors potentially exacerbating existing habitat limitations for mule deer. Aims The aim of this study was to investigate factors affecting mule deer summer range occupancy within a study area that experienced both wildfires and the presence of feral horses. Methods We deployed 72, 77 and 75 camera traps throughout the Murderers Creek and Northside wildlife management units located in north-eastern Oregon during summer 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively. We used an occupancy modelling framework to build and evaluate models of mule deer summer range occupancy related to competition, vegetation and abiotic variables. Key results Our final model set included four covariates: (1) an index of feral horse use; (2) whether the site was disturbed by wildfire; (3) distance to forest edge; and (4) eastness of the site. Model averaging indicated that mule deer probability of occupancy was negatively related with increased feral horse use and distance to forest edge, and positively related to eastern slopes and sites within a wildfire perimeter. Conclusions Our results add to the growing body of literature indicating that wildfires in forested ecosystems benefit mule deer and add to the limited body of literature indicating that feral horse use of a site negatively impacts mule deer. Implications Managers should incorporate fire into forest restoration projects when possible to benefit mule deer. Where feral horses and mule deer overlap, increased management of feral horse herds could potentially benefit mule deer. Lastly, our research showcases the utility of camera traps coupled with occupancy modelling to answer research questions that, in the past, were mainly answered through radio collaring.

Habitat suitability assessment for tule elk in the San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay areas

While California’s statewide tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) population has recovered from two or three individual survivors in the late 19th century, the subspecies exists today in numerous widely disjunct populations, leaving vast areas of the species’ former range uninhabited. Large unoccupied areas of historic tule elk range include the Santa Cruz Mountains and the northern Diablo and northern Santa Lucia ranges. Natural range expansion by existing populations into these areas is blocked by major highways and urban development; although, before considering tule elk translocations, it is necessary to assess the habitat suitability there. To this end, we fit a resource selection function (RSF) using generalized linear mixed models to GPS collar data collected from nearby radio collared tule elk and used several environmental GIS layers to capture important habitat characteristics. We fit the RSF in a habitat use versus availability framework with only linear and quadratic terms and used stepwise model selection ranked by AICc to maximize its generalizability, enabling transferability to our unoccupied study area. We also used k-fold cross validation to evaluate our RSF and found it predicted habitat within the San Luis Reservoir herd well. The fit habitat relationships mostly followed expectations based on tule elk ecology, including positive responses to herbaceous vegetation cover and waterbody proximity, and negative responses to high tree cover and high puma habitat suitability. Our RSF accurately predicted currently occupied elk habitat as suitable and found well over 500,000 ha (2,000 mi2) of suitable but unoccupied habitat throughout the northern Diablo Range, the inland and coastal sides of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and the northern Santa Lucia Range. Assuming translocations, and construction and improvement of highway wildlife crossings, our results support the potential for re-establishing tule elk in these regions, which are more coastal and mesic than the species’ current habitat in the central Diablo and northern Gabilan ranges.

Boundary Spanning Methodological Approaches for Collaborative Moose Governance in Eeyou Istchee

Natural resource governance challenges are often highly complex, particularly in Indigenous contexts. These challenges involve numerous landscape-level interactions, spanning jurisdictional, disciplinary, social, and ecological boundaries. In Eeyou Istchee, the James Bay Cree Territory of northern Quebec, Canada, traditional livelihoods depend on wild food species like moose. However, these species are increasingly being impacted by forestry and other resource development projects. The complex relationships between moose, resource development, and Cree livelihoods can limit shared understandings and the ability of diverse actors to respond to these pressures. Contributing to this complexity are the different knowledge systems held by governance actors who, while not always aligned, have broadly shared species conservation and sustainable development goals. This paper presents fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) as a methodological approach used to help elicit and interpret the knowledge of land-users concerning the impacts of forest management on moose habitat in Eeyou Istchee. We explore the difficulties of weaving this knowledge together with the results of moose GPS collar analysis and the knowledges of scientists and government agencies. The ways in which participatory, relational mapping approaches can be applied in practice, and what they offer to pluralistic natural resource governance research more widely, are then addressed.

The effects of challenge or social buffering on cortisol, testosterone, and antler growth in captive red deer (Cervus elaphus) males

We equipped 17 captive red deer males (Cervus elaphus) with GPS collars to measure inter-individual distances throughout the 5-months of the antler growth period. We expected some individuals to associate regularly with others while others would not. We predicted that males aggregating with others within a socially stable environment (Associates) would benefit from a form of “social buffering” and would likely have lowered cortisol (C) and testosterone (T) concentrations. Males only irregularly joining social groupings would experience elevated levels of aggression; according to the “Challenge hypothesis”, their T and C concentrations should increase. Interacting with a higher proportion of Associates did indeed reduce C concentrations. Conversely, avoiding Associates and challenging other males stimulated the T secretion. Admittedly, males avoiding regular proximity to others tended to develop the largest antlers. They probably benefited from frequent successful agonistic threats to conspecifics, resulting in elevated T concentrations. Regular association with tolerant, conspecifics and “social buffering” did not seem sufficient for producing larger antlers despite reducing C concentrations. Alternative social strategies were adopted within the same group of individuals and showed how the trade-off between these strategies could have an essential impact on C and T concentrations.

Proximity-sensors on GPS collars reveal fine-scale predator-prey behavior during a predation event: A case study from Scandinavia.

Although the advent of high-resolution GPS tracking technology has helped increase our understanding of individual and multispecies behavior in wildlife systems, detecting and recording direct interactions between free-ranging animals remains difficult. In 2023, we deployed GPS collars equipped with proximity sensors (GPS proximity collars) on brown bears (Ursus arctos) and moose (Alces alces) as part of a multispecies interaction study in central Sweden. On 6 June, 2023, a collar on an adult female moose and a collar on an adult male bear triggered each other's UHF signal and started collecting fine-scale GPS positioning data. The moose collar collected positions every 2 min for 89 min, and the bear collar collected positions every 1 min for 41 min. On 8 June, field personnel visited the site and found a female neonate moose carcass with clear indications of bear bite marks on the head and neck. During the predation event, the bear remained at the carcass while the moose moved back and forth, moving toward the carcass site about five times. The moose was observed via drone with two calves on 24 May and with only one remaining calf on 9 June. This case study describes, to the best of our knowledge, the first instance of a predation event between two free ranging, wild species recorded by GPS proximity collars. Both collars successfully triggered and switched to finer-scaled GPS fix rates when the individuals were in close proximity, producing detailed movement data for both predator and prey during and after a predation event. We suggest that, combined with standard field methodology, GPS proximity collars placed on free-ranging animals offer the ability for researchers to observe direct interactions between multiple individuals and species in the wild without the need for direct visual observation.

Variation of weekly home range characteristics of Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) in Bentang Seblat, Bengkulu Province, Indonesia

Abstract. Ningrum IK, Santosa Y, Setiawan Y. 2023. Variation of weekly home range characteristics of Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) in Bentang Seblat, Bengkulu Province, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 5854-5862. Bentang Seblat is one of the areas of conflict between Sumatran elephants and humans arising from space use problems because Sumatran elephants have specific preferences for habitat characteristics. This study aims to identify the characteristics of the weekly home range and analyze the relationship of weekly home range with habitat characteristics of Sumatran elephants in Bentang Seblat. GPS collar data from November 2020 until August 2022 were obtained from the Natural Resources Conservation Agency of Bengkulu-Lampung Province and habitat characteristics were obtained from Landsat 8 imagery. The data obtained were analyzed using chi-square test and Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) with five variables: land cover, slope, distance from water sources, roads, and settlements. The results showed that the weekly home range was between 2.67 ha-239.98 ha, averaging 46.1 ha. The highest percentage of each habitat characteristic includes secondary forest (55.38%), flat slopes (59.01%), distances of 0-450 m from water sources (35.11%), distances of 0-400 m from roads (70.81%), and distances of 6-8 km from settlements (50.37%). The weekly home range is closely related to all habitat characteristics, with the highest level of relationship significance being the distance from water sources and the distance from the settlement.

A Snapshot into the Lives of Elephants: Camera Traps and Conservation in Etosha National Park, Namibia

Knowledge of elephant movement and grouping patterns in the wild is critical for their management and conservation. Much of these data come from GPS collar data and aerial surveys, which have provided invaluable information, but data from these methods are often limited to small groups or entire populations. Effective elephant management requires both generalized and localized methodologies. Here, we propose the expanded use of camera traps in research relating to elephant localized movements and grouping patterns as an additional tool for elephant conservation management. In this study, we use a battery-powered camera trap to provide daily high-resolution data of African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) grouping patterns over the course of an entire year. We present findings on the seasonal and diurnal grouping patterns of elephants at a waterhole in the northeast corner of Etosha National Park from July 2016 to June 2017. The frequency of elephant occurrences varied seasonally and diurnally across all group types (solitary male, male, family, and mixed groups), while group sizes did not vary seasonally, except for male groups. Solitary males occurred relatively equally throughout the day, while male and mixed groups occurred the most midday, and family groups occurred the most in the afternoon. Additionally, we measured the reliability of research assistants when collecting group type and group size data from the camera trap images. Intra- and inter-observer reliability was excellent among and across research assistants, highlighting the potential for non-specialist observers to have greater involvement in camera trap data collection. Our results support the use of camera trap data where GPS collars and aerial surveys are not feasible and where higher-resolution data are needed for more localized management. Finally, we discuss our experience with two different types of camera traps to highlight the pros and cons of each approach.