Researchers with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in San Diego, Calif., and the State of Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources—Division of Forestry and Wildlife are presently tracking over 40 wild ‘io, also known as Hawaiian hawks, on Hawai’i Island with light-weight, solar-powered GPS transmitters. This work belongs to a collective effort to save this cherished types and among its natural victim—the ‘alalā. This effort belongs to a massive GPS tracking program to much better comprehend the degree to which ‘io relocation throughout the island and how they make use of various environments.
With the brand-new insights collected, researchers will be much better geared up to save this renowned raptor and at the same time obtain crucial insights to help in the future reintroduction of the ‘alalā, likewise called the Hawaiian crow, to their native environments. The goal is to make sure that both ‘alalā and ‘io can exist together in their native environments, as they formerly provided for several years.
Cutting-edge preservation innovation provides biologists and ecologists access to formerly unattainable details about wildlife habits. A light-weight, solar-powered GPS transmitter from Cellular Tracking Technologies is connected to the ‘io using a custom-fitted backpack harness designed to fall off over time. Once attached, the transmitter provides high-resolution data on the bird’s motions which are then sent from another location through the cellular network, getting rid of the requirement for a biologist to physically move the bird in native environments.
To date, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has actually released over 40 GPS transmitters on ‘io within various habitats, including rural neighborhoods, forests, and pastures across the island. Since the program’s beginning in mid-2022, more than 270,000 GPS places have actually been gathered from the tracked ‘io—an accomplishment enabled by generous assistance from the Dorrance Family Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
“This project is a perfect example of how recent advances in technology are driving the fields of ecology and conservation biology,” said Dr. James Sheppard, healing ecology researcher at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “It’s taken until now for wildlife telemetry devices to be miniaturized and made lightweight enough to be safely deployed on a bird such an ‘io. For the first time, we’re acquiring hard, rigorous, scientific data about the specific ecological needs of this important species. We are truly in the golden age of wildlife tracking.”
The ‘io faces several challenges that threaten its survival, including the loss of crucial vegetation and the widespread implications of climate change. However, the species understudied. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance partners closely with the State of Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources—Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the University of Hawai’i at Hilo to learn how to reduce crucial’ io preservation obstacles. The Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens has actually likewise supported this effort.
The ‘io is endemic to Hawai’i Island, where it is both environmentally and culturally substantial. Native Hawaiians consider’ io an ‘aumakua—a visible manifestation of a family or personal god. The species occupy a central place in the Hawaiian Islands’ culture, art, and customs. Not just is the ‘io well recognized and held in high esteem by residents, but it’s likewise a crucial predator in communities throughout the island. The ‘io forages on a large range of victim consisting of non-native rodents.
“CTT has a strong commitment to conservation research and is excited to be working with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance to bring the latest innovations in wildlife tracking to the endangered ‘io project,” said Michael Lanzone, ceo and co-founder at Cellular Tracking Technologies.
Knowing how ‘io use a variety of their habitats will help fine-tune ‘alalā reintroduction techniques to maximize ‘alalā survival, especially immediately after release, when they are particularly vulnerable to ‘io predation. ‘Alalā is the last survivor of at least five endemic crow species found on the Hawaiian Islands. Due to habitat fragmentation and destruction and the introduction of invasive species to the Hawaiian Islands—and the diseases they carry—‘alalā became extinct in the wild in 2002. A highly collaborative and intensive conservation breeding and restoration program is currently underway with the goal of returning the ‘alalā to its forest home. The ʻAlalā Project is a partnership between the State of Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources—Division of Forestry and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Photos Credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
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