GPS Telemetry Of Forest Elephants In Central Africa: Results Of A Preliminary Study. (2001)

Few data exist on the ranging behaviour of forest elephants. A feasibility study on the use of GPS telemetry as a tool to study ranging, seasonal movements and distribution was implemented in the Dzanga-Sangha and Nouabale¨-Ndoki National Parks Complex of Central African Republic and Congo. The study consisted of two parts - a thorough hand-held testing of an elephant GPS telemetry collar under tropical forest conditions and the deployment of collars on two elephants. During the feasibility study the system performance was satisfactory; GPS fix acquisition success rate, VHF and UHF collar-researcher communications were dequate. Two elephants, a mature bull and an adult female, were immobilized and fitted with GPS collars in October 1998. After deployment, the female's GPS collar performed well initially, but in less than a month the GPS within the collar stopped acquiring fixes.