In recent years, the return of wolves to Europe has captured the attention of people across the continent.
According to the Wildlife Comeback Report 2022, commissioned by Rewilding Europe, grey wolf numbers have increased by 1,800% since a low in the 1960s, and there are currently 17,000 roaming almost every country in continental Europe.
With this, understanding the behavior and movements of these majestic creatures is vital for conservation efforts and coexistence with local communities.
However, tracking wolves over extended periods has proven to be a challenging task due to the limitations of traditional GPS trackers, particularly their reliance on batteries.
A Battery-Free Wildlife Tracker
A report shared by Phys.org tells us that a team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen, the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, and DTU have developed a groundbreaking solution-a battery-free GPS wildlife tracker that harnesses the kinetic energy of the animals themselves.
Led by biologist and postdoc Rasmus W. Havmøller, the team set out to tackle the persistent problem of short battery life in GPS trackers used for wildlife studies.
Havmøller highlighted researchers' frustration when tracking animals, as the devices often become inoperable after just a few months.
Solar cells, a common alternative power source, proved inadequate for mammals due to their fragility and the fact that many mammals are active at night.
Thus, the researchers sought inspiration from the self-powered movement of automatic wristwatches worn by humans.
The KineFox GPS Wildlife Tracker
The result of their innovative approach is the development of the battery-free GPS wildlife tracker, affectionately named "KineFox."
This groundbreaking device relies on kinetic energy generated by an animal's movements to power itself and transmit GPS location messages.
The more an animal moves, the more energy is produced, ensuring continuous tracking throughout its lifetime.
Weighing a mere 150 grams, the KineFox can be comfortably fitted onto small mammals, expanding the range of species that can be monitored.
One of the most significant advantages of the KineFox tracker is its affordability.
Traditional GPS collars can cost up to €3,500-€4,000 each, while the KineFox comes at a fraction of that price.
Researchers can deploy more trackers by reducing the financial barrier, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of animal behavior and movement patterns.
Pushing Rewilding Efforts
Beyond aiding in the tracking and understanding of wildlife, the KineFox has the potential to revolutionize rewilding efforts.
The traditional approach of closely supervising animals reintroduced into the wild is resource-intensive and often impractical.
However, with the KineFox tracker, wildlife managers can remotely monitor the animals and gain insights into their well-being by analyzing their activity patterns.
Changes in movement behavior can indicate illness or other health concerns, allowing for timely intervention and minimizing the need for physical check-ups.
Moreover, the KineFox tracker can fill critical knowledge gaps regarding endangered species, such as tigers, Asiatic wild dogs, and leopards. These species are known to traverse vast distances, yet their movements remain largely unknown.
Rasmus W. Havmøller expressed his hope that the KineFox tracker would shed light on the lives of enigmatic and endangered species. He believes the KineFox will unlock the "black box" of knowledge surrounding these creatures.
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