Context Wildlife tracking is often expensive and manufacturer delivery times sometimes delay critical research opportunities. Movement and activity data provide fundamental ecological information for developing conservation methods and management strategies. However, the aforementioned limitations of commercial animal tracking systems can prevent important research. Aims To build an affordable and effective system for monitoring the movement and activity of captive and wild animals with a particular focus on mammals (weighing 3 kg and over) such as the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata, hereafter ‘BTRW’). Methods A prototype hub-based animal tracking system was built for BTRW research. Data was uploaded from a collar to hub when an animal was within upload range via a wireless local area network and transmitted via a Message Queuing Telemetry Transport broker. This data package was subsequently uploaded via cellular networks to a cloud-based database and dashboard. Key results The On-Animal Tracking System (OATS) prototype system was successfully tested in the field with nine BTRW for a period of up to 60 days and provided researchers with movement data for further analysis. Conclusions OATS provides an affordable wildlife tracking system option with the design being publicly and freely available thereby, providing a tracking solution specifically designed for research. Implications This system has set the foundation for other researchers to use and adapt the design to suit their research needs thereby, providing both a customisable and cost-effective method for carrying out movement and activity research. OATS has been deployed with BTRW (described in this manuscript) along with both wild canids and livestock.
Charlton et al. (Sun,) studied this question.