The use of telemetry for animal tracking studies has been a key component of wildlife research and monitoring for decades. The unique anatomy of giraffe, however, has presented special challenges for developing functional animal-borne tracking devices for these species. Since the first reported collaring of a giraffe in 1970, several modifications (from neck collars to ear tags, and head harnesses to tail units) and technological developments (Very High Frequency [VHF] to Ultra High Frequency [UHF], Global System for Mobile communication [GSM], and Low Range [LoRa] to Global Positioning System [GPS] satellite) have taken place. Here, we describe the evolution of tracking units used on giraffe and, where available, report their performance diagnostics, highlighting the applicability of such units for modern-day tracking studies with both improved data quality and improved animal welfare. Based on the data gathered, we make recommendations about which modern-day units to use regarding research and management goals.
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Marneweck et al. (2024) studied this question.
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