How tracking wildlife with collars helps animals—and people

The document describes the application of GPS and satellite collars to track wildlife, providing specific examples of how this data reveals migration patterns, identifies critical movement corridors, and helps mitigate conflict between humans and animals. It highlights cases involving zebras, hyenas, lions, and elephants in Africa and Asia to demonstrate how tracking informs conservation strategies and promotes coexistence.

• Satellite tracking of plains zebras between Namibia and Botswana revealed a previously unknown annual migration of 5,000 to 10,000 animals covering 150 miles; however, data from a decade later suggests climate-driven drought may be disrupting these patterns, resulting in fewer animals and less synchronized movements.
• Tracking data from a spotted hyena (SH2) that traveled over 4,000 miles in nine months suggests that parts of central Namibia may be functionally empty of the species due to the use of poison and snares.
• Lion collars provide data on movement and dispersal that allows researchers to identify wildlife corridors and provides communities with advance warnings to move livestock to safety when lions approach villages.
• In the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), elephant tracking data has shown that female herds rarely cross veterinary fences and that 'micro-corridors' through dense human settlements are critical for movement.
• In the Sonitpur district of Assam, India, GPS collars on Asian elephants are being used to understand how they navigate fragmented landscapes of tea plantations, crop fields, and forests to develop strategies for managing human-elephant conflict.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). How tracking wildlife with collars helps animals—and people. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-tracking-wildlife-with-collars-helps-animalsand-people/

Chicago

WWF International. How tracking wildlife with collars helps animals—and people. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-tracking-wildlife-with-collars-helps-animalsand-people/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=How tracking wildlife with collars helps animals—and people |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-tracking-wildlife-with-collars-helps-animalsand-people/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndhow, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{How tracking wildlife with collars helps animals—and people}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/how-tracking-wildlife-with-collars-helps-animalsand-people/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }