It is no secret that animals are under threat in our current environment. The United Nations reported that humans have altered about 70% of all ice-free land around the world. This, coupled with rising global temperatures, has compromised habitats and starved animals of needed resources.
But conservationists are fighting back.
For the first time in a century, a wolf has appeared in Los Angeles County, according to the Los Angeles Times. The wolf, known as BEY03F, has traveled a great distance, seeking a mate and a suitable habitat.
The wolves were wiped out by hunters and trappers in the 1920s. None returned to California until 2011. It's believed there are about 60 wolves in the entire state, and conservationists are trying to raise those numbers.
The use of technology by conservationists offers several powerful tools in the quest to protect endangered or threatened animals from harm and to assist in rehabilitation efforts. Trail cameras or camera traps help experts monitor the movements of animals and provide documentation of evidence. The same can be said for GPS tracking devices that show scientists the habits of animals in real time.
And the use of such technology has been deployed by conservationists around the world. For instance, bird watchers in Singapore were ecstatic when local cameras captured the rare Eurasian hoopoe. And cameras in India captured images of the Asiatic wild dog, which marked its first time in the region in thirty-five years.
Conservationists were thrilled to welcome a wolf back to Los Angeles County. "This signifies a historic moment in the return of wolves for California," said John Marchwick, a writer for the nonprofit California Wolf Watch.
But they were also wary.
"The one thing that we do know is the more that she moves, the more that she has to encounter human infrastructure, and particularly highways," warned Axel Hunnicutt, gray wolf coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, per the LA Times. "And we know that in California, the highest known cause of mortality for wolves is vehicle strikes."
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