May 18, 2005
Cellphone technology to track dolphins and elephants
Reuters reports that South African researchers are planning on tracking dusky dolphins with a new device that uses cell phone sim cards.
"This will enable them to track the marine mammals along their coastal ranges and at a fraction of the price of old satellite technology.
"With cellphone towers on coasts you can have a signal for 2.5 km (1.5 miles) out to sea," Martin Haupt of Africa Wildlife Tracking told Reuters in an interview.
The black and white dolphins are also famed for their explosive displays of aerial acrobatics which means they can stay above the surface long enough to lock a signal on them.
OUT OF AFRICA
Haupt said cell phone technology had revolutionised animal tracking over the past four years and about 200 beasts were now collared with such technology in Africa, including elephants, zebras and baboons.
"It's a lot cheaper than using satellites. A reading is the cost of an SMS," he said.
The batteries last longer than those used in the old satellite devices, the system uses GPS tracking and your elephant is just an SMS text message away.
"You can type in an SMS 'Where is elephant number 1?' and it will give you its location," he said.
Related articles on tracking wildlife with cell phone technology:
-- Texting to save Kenyan elephants - Scientists in Kenya are using text messages to keep tabs on elephants
-- SMS technology keeps wild wolf on the map - Norwegian researchers have used cellphone text messaging for the first time to track a young wolf that recently crossed the border from neighbouring Sweden.
-- Tracking Moose by SMS - Researchers from the University of Agricultural Sciences of Stockholm are tagging several dozen moose with special cell phones to track their eating habits and movements across the country.
-- Tracking Geese on a 3'000 km flight - UK's Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust tagged 20'000 geese and tracked them with satellite technology from the breeding grounds of Canada to Ireland, a 3'000 km flight.
-- Seals sent out SMS - From the Scottish waters, seals sent out SMS to scientists.
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