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Satellite and Ground Radiotracking of Elk

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Satellite and Ground Radiotracking of Elk Satellite and Ground Radiotracking of Elk FRANK C. CRAIGHEAD, JR. JOHN J. CRAIGHEAD CHARLES E. COTE HELMUT K. BUECHNER Smithsonian Institution ADIOTRACKING AND MONITORING Of scribed by Maxwell at this conferenye, may R free-living animals in natural environ- prove effective for small animals. ments is providing an effective new technique This project was a joint endeavor be- for acquiring information on biological proc- tween the Smithsonian Institution and the esses, including animal orientation and navi- National Aeronautics and Space Administra- gation. To test the practicability of extending tion, conducted in collaboration with the the technique by using satellite systems for Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research tracking animals, a female elk was instru- Unit, the Environmental Research Institute, mented with an electronic collar. It con- the State University of New York at Albany, tained both the Interrogation Recording Lo- and the National Geographic Society. Pre- cation System (IRLS) transponder and a testing was conducted at the National Bison Craighead-Varney ground-tracking trans- Range, Moiese, Montana. The experiment mitter. The elk was successfully tracked was carried out at the Nztional Elk Refuge, and monitored by satellite during the month Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in cooperation with of April 1970. This was the first time an the US. Bureau of Sports Fisheries and Wild- animal had been tracked by satellite on the life, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commis- surface of the Earth. Information derived sion, the US. Forest Service, and the Na- from the present feasibility study provides a tional Park Service. Previous research under basis for assessing uses of the system, reducing NSF (617502) made possible the use of the the weight, and improving the configuration ground radiotracking system. of the instrument collar for monitoring a va- riety of large mammals. The minimum HISTORY OF PROJECT weight of the IRLS transponder, even with microminiaturization, makes its use impracti- The present project had its inception on cal for most small mammals and birds, A May 26, 1966, at a conference sponsored doppler-shift type of satellite system, as de- jointly by the Smithsonian Institution, the 99 100 ANIMAL ORIENTATION AND NAVIGATION American Institute of Biological Sciences, PROJECllON and the National Aeronautics and Space Ad- ministration (ref. 1). At this time the possi- bilities for using the Nimbus meteorological satellites for tracking and monitoring wild animals were explored by biologists and eEgi- neers. An initial estimate of 11.3 kg for the IRLS instrument platform proved accu- rate. This transponder was heavy for use on wild animals, as it had been designed for oceanographic buoys and high-altitude weather balloons. It was apparent that a FIGURE 1. PRLS location technique: Distance large animal would be required for the first (4)between satellite and instrument platform experiments in satellite tracking of free-roam- generates a sphere with satellite at center (TI): ing animals. However, engineers calculated this sphere in space intersects the Earth in a that the weight could eventually be reduced perfect circle. Second perfect circle intersecting first at two points is formed by second interroga- by 50 to 75 percent. An elk was chosen for tion at T2.Platform position is readily selected on the first test becauze of its large size (about basis of prior information from previous orbits. 225 kg) , gentleness, and migratory behavior. In addition an accumulated background of MATERIALS AND METHODS experience in radiotracking and immobilizing elk (ref. 2) was available over a period of The experiment was carried out with the years in the Jackson Hole-Yellowstone Na- Nimbus I11 and IV satellites, using the IRLS tional Park area. Logistic support for the system to locate and interrogate the animals project was particularly favorable in the (refs. 3 to 5). The IRLS instrument was Jackson Hole area. designed with 28 channels of communication, A planning conference was held May 9- 10 of which were used in the present experi- 12, 1969, in Missoula, Montana, at which ment. One IRLS instrument was modified time biologists and engineers decided on the aild packaged into the collar for the elk, with configuration and packaging of the IRLS batteries as the source of power and solar transponder and selected parameters to be cells to maintain battery charge. To conserve monitored. A Craighead-Varney transmitter power, a timing system provided a 10-min was packaged with the IRLS transponder window for transmission during satellite over- since this ground-tracking system had a capa- passes. The radio transmitter power output bility that enabled observers to visually locate was 15 W to the antenna at a frequency of the elk, thus providing direct observations 466.0 MHz. with which to measure the accuracy of satel- The Nimbus satellites are in polar-sun- lite positioning. This 32.0 MHz tracking sys- synchronous orbits, and their exact position tem had been used to successfully track six above the Earth can be calculated. The cow elk for a total of 1216 animal tracking distance between the satellite and elk was days. In addition, one elk had been radio- determined by a radar-like interrogation. tracked from the National Elk Refuge to its This line generates a sphere, with the satellite summer range in Yellowstone National Park, at the center, that forms a perfect circle a distance of 64.4 airline km. where it intersects the Earth’s surface. An- SESSION 11: ANIMAL TRACKING 101 other circle is formed by the second interro- DATEDFRUN MO DAY YR 4 28 70 gation, intersecting the first circle at two ORBIT NUMBER 5082 points. The animal is located at one of these PLATFORM ID 105452 ELK two points; the other point is sufficiently dis- COMMANDTIME HH MM SSS tant from the animal, determined by prior 07 54 106 as FRAME 1 information, to be considered unlikely as the DATA RECEIVED animal’s position (fig. 1) . 2 UNUSED 1 UNUSED 4 ALTIMETER 3 UNUSED The Craighead-Varney ground-tracking 6 t12 VOLT BATTERY 5 RECEIVER SIGNAL transmitter (32 MHz) was installed in the 8 BATTERY TEMPERATURE 7 SKIN TEMPERATURE 10 -40 To tlO’C AMBIENT 9 0 TO +50’C AMBIENT lower compartment of the collar. Batteries 1,2 TIMER 11 t4.8 VOLT BATTERY I )UNUSED 1,3 LIGHT INTENSITY 28 and antenna for this system were located at JJUNUSED the top of the collar. The instrument collar was separable into COMPUTED PLATFORM UCATIOW TIME two parts for installation on the elk. Instru- LA1 LONG DAY Hn MM sss menting was accomplished when the animal 43 4921 110 721W 118 07 54 110 was immobilized with M99 (etorphine) . Ten FIGURE 2. Data format showing arrangement min were required to make the electronic of data on computer printout forms. connections and fasten the collar on the elk. Internal telemetry for the instrument was provided a 6-month battery lifetime by com- provided by five sensors, and external data pletely unloading the battery during the 12- were monitored by another five sensors. The hr intervals between orbital overpasses. Dur- data format corresponding to the computer ing each overpass a 10-min “power on” pe- printout is shown in figure 2. One such frame riod was initiated precisely as the satellite of data was collected during each interroga- came into radio view. The timer setting of tion of the instrument. For each overpass the the window was monitored on each orbit, satellite was programmed for up to five inter- and periodic adjustments were made by com- rogations at intervals of 1.5 min. Data were mand from the satellite to maintain syn- available to the experimenters within 1 to 2 chrony. hr of the overpass. The pressure transducer for measuring altitude failed and was inoper- PROCEDURE ative throughout the experiment. Skin tem- perature was measured by a thermistor During the summer and fall of 1969 a mounted on a tension arm attached on the mockup model of the instrument collar was inside surface of the collar. Battery voltages developed and tested on four female elk in a and temperatures were monitored directly, corral at the National Bison Range. The col- and the received signal strength was obtained lar (11.3 kg) weighed less than known at the output of the first intermediate fre- weights of elk antlers. None of the elk experi- quency stage. Two thermistors provided over- enced any apparent interference with daily lapping scales (-40 to + 10 OC; 0 to + activities, and there was no evidence of 50 ‘6) for measuring ambient temperature breakage of hair or skin abrasions from rub- within f 1 percent accuracy. For additional bing of the collar during feeding activities. information about the IUSsystem see Craig- One elk carried the collar for a period of 90 head et al. days without difficulty. Pretesting of the elec- An electromechanical timer-control unit tronic instrument collar began on January 102 ANIMAL ORIENTATION AND NAVIGATION 20, 1970, using the same female elk after it from the satellite the timer was reset, and at had been without the mockup collar for noon on February 22, data were received about 2 weeks. The pretest was highly suc- from the animal. Subsequent passes failed to cessful in terms of placing the instrument col- yield data. Visd observations of the elk lar on the elk and interrogating the instru- indicated that she remained bedded down for ment daily for the next 12 days on 16 orbits abnormally long periods of time, walked of the satellite. sluggishly, and was not feeding. The femaie On February 5, two female elk at the finally died on the morning of February 23, National Elk Refuge were immobilized and apparently of pneumonia which is not un- fitted with mockup collars to pretest the reac- common in the herd on the Refuge.
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