GPS collar tracking provides invaluable data for wildlife conservation but carries welfare costs from capture, fitting, and collar wear that require careful management.
GPS tracking technology has transformed wildlife research and conservation, enabling individual movement data that reveals habitat requirements, migration routes, and behavioural ecology at a scale previously impossible. The welfare cost of this knowledge — anaesthesia for capture, collar wear, potential for skin irritation or wound formation — is real but designed to be minimised by welfare-conscious researchers. The 3-5% body weight limit for collars is based on evidence that heavier loads impair movement, energetics, and survival. Drop-off mechanisms reduce the need for repeat captures. Remote data transmission eliminates the need for collar recovery captures. Collar designs continue to improve, with growing use of harness designs, solar-powered units with longer battery life, and faster-drying lightweight materials. Ethical review that weighs scientific benefit against individual welfare cost remains the appropriate framework for tracking study approval.