how do you track 1.5 million wildebeest?

researchers have fitted radio collars on to a select number of wildebeest, with the trackers regularly relaying information back to the team, telling them exactly at the same time as fitting a radio collar, half of the wildebeest’s tail is shaved. As the tail hair regrows it incorporates metabolites that are circulating in the animal’s bloodstream — such as cortisol, the level of which increases when the animal experiences stress. The tail also includes aspects of the food the wildebeest is eating, indicating where it has been and how close it is to starvation. On recapturing the animal, the regrowth is shaved, providing a physiological diary for the researchers to analyse. drones are flown above a herd, tracking its natural movement pattern. Computer algorithms then apply a unique ID number to each animal, allowing the team to individually track its (and the herd’s) movements and responses to different scenarios, such as proximity to humans or predators. This also helps decipher how information is transferred between animals and how they make decisions. through the team’s Tracker app (), people can engage with the project, sharing information of what animals they have seen and where, helping to build a more comprehensive picture of the migration.