GPS ear tags help track bison at Sask.'s Buffalo Pound Provincial Park

Batalo Pond Provincial Park in Saskatchewan is using GPS ear tags to track 14 buffalo across an area of about 100 hectares. The main goal of the project is to help visitors find the buffalo and also collect data for scientific research.

How the system works:

The solar tags send signals to a telecommunications tower.

This information is transmitted to a computer program in the park’s visitor center, which updates the buffalo’s current location every 15 minutes.

Visitors can see the buffalo’s location as white dots on a map on a television screen in the visitor center.

Project benefits:

Better visitor experience: The system answers the age-old question of “Where are the buffalo?” and reduces the frustration of not seeing the animals.

Scientific research: Park superintendent Dave Bomason and grassland ecologist Dale Gross will use the data to study grazing patterns, buffalo interactions with the environment, and the impact on grass growth.
Rangeland management: GPS data will help researchers apply salt and water to areas that buffalo have used less, helping grasses grow back healthier.
Agricultural applications: The findings could also be used on cattle farms to help animals consume healthier forage.
Importance of buffalo: Buffalo play a vital role in the grassland ecosystem of the American Plains, and their long-term interactions with these areas have helped to keep the soil fertile and insects and pollinators alive. They have also been important to indigenous peoples.

Future plans:

Currently, the GPS interface is only available to park staff via an app, but there are plans to make the app public in the future so that schools and other groups can use it as an educational tool. The ultimate goal is to increase opportunities to see buffalo and get people interested in learning more about them.

The project, which begins in October 2024, is the only provincial park in Saskatchewan to have buffalo, and they have been in the park since 1972.

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