CARNIVORE RESEARCH
Northwest Carnivore Monitoring
Developing advanced research methods to save local species
PROTECTING CARNIVORES
A Future for Northwest Carnivores
Carnivores such as wolverines, Canada lynx, black bears, wolves, cougars, fishers, and martens call the Cascade Mountains home. This range is one of the only places in the contiguous US to support these iconic and, often, rare species.
Climate change and human disturbance are threats to these species, and monitoring their populations is important for effective conservation.
CARNIVORES, COEXISTENCE & CLASSROOMS
Woodland Park Zoo has been developing and employing methods to monitor carnivores in remote and rugged locales. These methods enable us to track their recovery in local ecosystems, and their response to human disturbance and climate change.
We have successfully developed and employed noninvasive methods—methods that don’t require capturing wild animals and that, therefore, can eliminate handling and stress—for surveying rare species that inhabit large areas and are difficult to study. This includes a high-tech scent dispenser and camera-trap protocol that is being adopted widely by researchers.
Hope for Northwest Carnivores
Project Collaboration
We are developing monitoring frameworks that are effective for multiple species simultaneously, which reduces costs and maximizes resources, allowing agencies and managers to more effectively track and conserve difficult to survey species.
Developing Better Data
Our monitoring methods complement cutting-edge data analysis techniques—including artificial intelligence and machine learning—which are increasingly providing more detailed and useful information about wild animal populations.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
MORE WAYS TO HELP