Researchers Using GPS to Track the Elusive Wolverine at Glacier National Park

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By Andy Newcomer

Story Published: May 12, 2008 at 12:05 AM MDT

Story Updated: May 12, 2008 at 12:09 AM MDT

Biologists at Glacier National Park say as GPS (Global Positioning Systems) transmitters have become smaller, they've begun putting them in collars to track elusive animals like the wolverine.

Carnivore Ecologist John Waller says they just started the program within the last year, but it is already helping them learn more about the rare species. Research has shown Glacier is one of the last refuges for the wolverine in the continental U.S., though their may be as few as 50 of them in the park.

"They are the least studied animal in the United States," said Waller. "One wolverine may have a range of hundreds of square miles, but we're keeping better tabs on them with GPS.

He says GPS allows him to watch an animals movements from his office computer, which is a big improvement over older tracking methods.

"Traditionally we tracked animals with VHF (Very High Frequency) collars, and it's just a collar that transmits a beep," he said. We would go up in an airplane, or on the ground with an antenna, and circle around until we could home in on the signal and mark that position on a map. GPS collars give you that information 24/7 and as often as you want."

Waller says they've learned just how quickly wolverines can travel large distances.

"We had one male wolverine that we tracked who summited Mount Cleveland, the highest peak in the park, in February" he said. "He did 5,000 vertical feet in 90 minutes."

Park officials say the new information about wolverines could help in ensuring their survival.

"The more we know about organisms and their ecology, the more we're able to gauge the effects our activities might be having on them," said Supervisory Interpreter Matt Graves. "The more we know about their populations, the better we're able to understand the trands and what might be causing that."

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