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TheUnnaturalKingdom
Iftechnologyhelpsussavethewilderness,
willthewildernessstillbewild?
ByDANIELDUANE

MARCH11,2016

IFyoueverhavethegoodfortunetoseeaSierraNevadabighornsheep,the
experiencemightgolikethis:OnasunnymorninginYosemiteNational
Park,youwalkthroughalpinemeadowsandthenuparidgetothesummit
ofMountGibbsat12,764feetabovesealevel.Youunwrapachocolatebar
amidbreathtakingviewsofmountainanddesertandthenyounotice
movementbelow.
Binocularsrevealthreesturdyewesperchedonawallofrock,
accompaniedbytwolambsandamuscularram.Thesightfillsyouwithawe
andalsowithgratitudeforthenationalparks,forestsand,yes,
environmentalregulationsthatkeeptheAmericandreamofwilderness
alive.
Unlessyourbinocularsareunusuallypowerful,youareunlikelyto
noticethatmanyofthosesheepwearcollarsmanufacturedbyLotek
WirelessofNewmarket,Ontario.Youwill,therefore,remainunawarethat
GPSandsatellitecommunicationshardwareaffixedtothosecollarsallows
wildlifemanagersindistantairconditionedroomstotrackeverymove
madebythosesheep.LikesimilarequipmentattachedtoCalifornia
condors,pronghornantelope,pythons,fruitbats,Africanwildebeest,
whitetailedeagles,growlinggrassfrogs,feralcamelsandcountlessother
creatures,thosecollarsaretheonlyvisibleelementsofthebacklot
infrastructurethatnowputsandkeepssomanyanimalsinthewild.

Mostlyhiddenfromview,thisinfrastructureisproliferatingand
improvingsoquickly,thankstoadvancesindigitaltechnology,thatwildlife
managersareseizingmoreandmoreofnaturesrelevantdialspredator
andpreyalikeandturningthosedialstokeepnaturelookingthewaywe
wantitto.Undeniablyintheserviceofgood,thistechnologicalrevolution
inthehumanrelationshiptowildlifeisalsoacceleratingtheancienthuman
projectofbringingthephysicalworldunderourcontrol.
InthecaseoftheSierrabighorn,ageneticallydistinctsubspeciesof
wildsheep,therewerelikelymorethanathousandbeforethe1849gold
rushbroughtdomesticsheepintotheHighSierra.Thosedomesticsheep
carrieddiseasesforwhichbighornhadnodefense.Inthelate1970s,afield
biologistnamedJohnWehausencounted250survivors,noneinside
YosemiteNationalPark.In1979,Mr.Wehausenbeganarecoveryeffort
thatincludedtranslocationofsheepbackintotheareaaroundMount
Gibbs,wheretherehadoncebeenaherd.Butthenastatemoratoriumon
thesporthuntingofmountainlionscausedanincreaseinlionnumbers,
andsomeofthoselionsbegantopreyonbighorn.Thenamid1990s
droughtdepressedthedeerpopulation,causingevenmorelionstobecome
sheepspecialists.Bighornnumberscrashed,andthetotalpopulation
droppedtonear100.In2000,thefederalgovernmentlistedtheSierra
bighornundertheEndangeredSpeciesAct.
ThesubsequentSierraNevadaBighornSheepRecoveryProgram,an
interagencycollaboration,tacitlyacknowledgedthatourbiggestandbest
protectedwildecosystemsaresobadlycompromisedthatwecannolonger
fencethemoffandhopeforthebest.Startingintheearly2000s,the
recoveryprogramemployedancientandcontemporarytechnology:Net
guns,firedfromhelicopters,wereusedtocapturebighornoutfittedwith
collarsthatcarriedbothGPSandVHFradiotransmittersprofessional
hunters,meanwhile,trackedanddartedeverymountainlionintheareato
outfitthemwithcollarsthatcarriedVHFradiotransmitters.Biologistsat
computermonitorsbegantowatchbighornmovements.Anytimealion
killedmultiplebighorninashortperiodoftime,thosehuntersusedVHF
radiotelemetryandspeciallybredlionhoundstofindandkillit.

Oncebighornherdsgrewlargeenoughtosparemembers,biologists
movedthemaroundtoestablishnewherdsinlongvacanthabitatandto
injectbiologicaldiversityintosmallerherdsliketheoneonMountGibbs.
Thiswasdonethroughoperationsthatreadlikesciencefictionabout
humanstrappedinagamereservemanagedbyalienoverlords.
InMarch2013,accordingtoTomStephenson,theprogramdirector,a
fixedwingaircraftcircledaboveanestablishedherdonMountLangley,a
14,026footpeak.Techniciansonboardthatairplaneusedradiotelemetry
toguidealowflyingHughes500helicoptertowardfivepregnantfemale
sheepknownfrompreviousDNAtestingtocarrydiversegenetics.The
helicopterherdedthepregnantsheepupamountainside.Amanleaned
fromthehelicopterandfiredanetgunthattangleduponefemaleafter
another.Anotherman,knownasamugger,jumpedoutandtackledthe
nettedfemales,hobbledandblindfoldedthem,andthenwrappedthemin
bagsthatdangledfromtheundersideofthehelicopter.
Thesheepwereflowntoaparkinglotforblooddrawsthatallowed
diseasetestingandmoreDNAsequencing,aswellasultrasoundtestingfor
bodyfatanalysisandskeletalmeasurementsoftheirfetuses.Next,they
weretruckedsome100milesnorth,transferredintobagshangingbelow
anotherhelicopter,flownupnearMountGibbsandfreedtogivebirth
amongsheeptheydnevermet.
Theviewthroughthosebinoculars,inotherwords,lovelyasitmight
be,willalsobeadeeplyhumanculturalproduct.Peoplehavealways
manipulatedthenaturalworld.Themostprimitivefarmsarehuman
managedecosystemsEuropeanaristocratsfencedoffgamereservesinthe
MiddleAgesWesternAmericanlandmanagershavearguedformorethan
acenturyoverhowtoprotectlivestockfrompredatorsandgovernment
agencieshavelongdumpedhatcheryraisedtroutintostreamssothatwe
canhavefuncatchingthem.Radiocollarsandspeciesrecoveryprojects
havebeenaroundforawhile,too:InCaliforniaalone,startingbackinthe
1980s,biologistssavedboththeperegrinefalconandtheCaliforniacondor
fromextinction.

Moreandmore,though,aswehumansdevourhabitat,andas
hardworkingbiologiststhankheavenusethebesttoolsavailableto
protectwhateverwildcreaturesremain,weapproachthatperhaps
inevitabletimewheneverypredatorpreyinteraction,everylivebirthand
everydeathineveryspeciessupportedbytheterrestrialbiosphere,willbe
monitoredandmanipulatedbythehumanhivemind.
ConservationMetrics,forexample,aCaliforniatechnologystartup,is
developingsoftwaretoprocessimmensedatasetsfromremotecamera
trapsor,say,DNAsamplersthatmightonedaysitinwildernessstreams
andfilterDNAfragmentsasawayofcountingspeciesinagivenwatershed.
MarkHebblewhite,awildlifebiologistattheUniversityofMontana,
integratesrealtimemoistureandtemperaturedatafromsatelliteswith
datafromaccelerometersattachedtobirdswingstokeeptabsonbird
flocksinmigration.DroneaircraftallowTimBoucher,aNature
Conservancyscientist,tomapwildernessterraindowntoanastonishing
fivecentimeterresolution.
Asformanipulation,Africangamemanagersusesimilardronesto
herdwildelephantsawayfromfarmswheretheymightgetshot.Astill
moreintriguingexamplecomesfromWesternEurope,wherelarge
predatorsweremostlykilledoffbytheRenaissance.Fifteenyearsago,
biologistsinTrentino,Italy,traveledtoSloveniatocapture10European
brownbears,smallercousinsofgrizzlies.Thesebearswerereleasedintothe
ItalianAlpswithextraordinarysuccess10bearsarenow50.
Itsexcitingtohavetheselarge,iconiccarnivoresroamingCentral
Europewheretheywereextirpatedcenturiesago,saidFrancescaCagnacci,
aresearcheronafollowupproject.
Predictably,afewofthebrownbearsinItalybegantoeatfarmers
chickens,tearupcommercialbeehivesandgenerallywreakhavoc.Wildlife
managersinitiallyrespondedbyoutfittingproblembearswithcollarsthat
allowedprecisemappingoftheirmovements.Thenapilotprojecttested
sensorsplacedaroundlocalfarmsandothertemptations.Thesesensors

detectasignalbroadcastbycollarsattachedtobearsandotherwildlife,and
thencommunicatewithoneanotherinawirelessnetworkthatdelivers
deterrentsinrandompatterns:bearsprayfiredbyhiddenguns,followed
thenexttimebysirensandbrightlights,andthenbyroboticdogslurching
outofroboticdoghousesaccompaniedbytheprerecordedsoundofbarking
bearhounds.Ifallgoesaccordingtoplan,theentiresystemcollars,
sensors,deterrentswillbeoperationalattheendofthesummer.
Likemostpeople,Iwouldmisstheunmanipulatedwildifitentirely
disappeared,andIlikeapointthatMr.Hebblewhitemakesabout
technologicalbreakthroughstemptingustooverestimateourown
cleverness.Evenwiththelatestdigitaltools,henotes,ecosystems,and
specificallythechallengeofrestoringbrokenones,remainprofoundlymore
complexthananyphenomenonorsystemthathumanshaveevermastered.
Puttingastronautsintospace,thatwaschildsplay,bycomparison,he
says.Theonlythingrivalinganecosystemforcomplexityisthehuman
brain.
Mr.Hebblewhitealsoarguesthatconservationsuccessstorieslikethe
bighornorthereturnofwolvestoYellowstonecontributetowhathe
callstheLegofallacy,theideathatecosystemsarelikethoseLegosets
whereyoubuildtheMillenniumFalconandifapiecegoesmissingallyou
havetodoisfindareplacementandpopitbackin.
Putanotherwayandavastmajorityofconservationistswouldagree
thebeststrategyisstilljusttoavoiddestroyinghabitatinthefirstplace,
andsometimestoletdevelopedplacesbecomewildagain.Takethereturn
ofwolvestoCentralEurope,madepossiblebythefactthathumansno
longerhuntandtrapandpoisonthemwiththesamededicationtheyonce
did.Allontheirown,wolvesfoundcorridorstorecolonizemostoftheAlps
andCentralEurope,Ms.Cagnaccisays.TheyarenowinGermany,
DenmarkandevenclosetoHolland!Itslike:What!?WolvesinHolland!
Andithappenedbecausepeopleleftthemountainsandtheforeststolivein
cities.Itwasanunconsciousrewilding,anditismoresuccessfulthanthe
bearreintroduction.

ONCEyoubreaksomethingandtrytoputitbacktogether,youhaveto
decidewhatexactlyyouwanttherestoredversiontolooklike.Ifyou
happentobeagovernmentagencyinademocracy,thatmeans
reassemblingecosystemsbasedonthedesiresofcompetinginterestgroups.
IntheRockies,wheregrizzlies,wolvesandelksupporttourismandreal
estatevalues,wildlifemanagerswhotrackallthoseanimalshaveto
contendwithhomeownerswhodontwantthefamilydogrippedinhalfand
hunterswhowonderwhy,whenitcomestoeatingelk,wedwanttogive
wolvespriorityoverhumansinpickingthetastiestlookingbulls.TheSierra
NevadaBighornSheepRecoveryProgrameventuallyhadtostopkilling
mountainlionsbecausetoomanyCalifornianshatedtheideaof
governmenthuntersshootingthosebeautifulcats,regardlessofthebenefit
tobighornsheep.Decisionslikethese,basedonpublicopinion,might
somedaydictatethesubtlestinteractionsbetweenanimalseverywhere.
Still,surveillanceandmanipulationofthewildsurebeatsdoing
nothing,especiallywhentechnologycanmakeconservationeasier.Take
therecordingdevicesthathavebecomethespywareofthebackcountry.As
recentlyasafewyearsago,researcherstryingtocountgreatgrayowlsin
Yosemitehadtohikeintotheforest,hoot,waitforresponsehootsfrom
actualowls,anddotheirbesttotellthoseowlsapart.Nowthesame
researcherscansetoutsensorsthatrecordeverynoiseintheforest.
Computersthencrunchthisdata(aweeksworthrunstoajawdropping23
terabytes)andidentifythevoicesofdistinctowls.Machinelearning
softwaremaysoonmakethiseasierbyidentifyingthesound,say,ofa
particularfemaleowlrespondingtoaparticularmalebringingfoodtothe
nest,orofajuvenilebeggingforfood,eitherofwhichwouldindicatethe
presenceofanestingpair.
Remotecamerashavealsoproliferatedinwildernessbackcountryand
these,too,areabighelptowildlifeconservation.InJanuary2015,for
example,thefieldbiologistsStephanieEyesandTorenJohnsonsnowshoed
outtoretrievethememorycardfromamotionsensorcamerainan
obscurecornerofYosemite.AccordingtoSarahStock,aYosemitebiologist,
thatcamerahadbeenbaitedwithscenttuckedintoawhiteathleticsock

nailedtoatree,partofanefforttolureandidentifyrarehighaltitude
carnivoreslikepinemartensandwolverines.
THEpairpitchedtheirtent,crawledin,pluggedthatmemorycardinto
asmallhandheldcamera,andsawimagesofthefirstSierraNevadared
foxknowntohaveenteredYosemiteNationalParksince1916,whena
rangerkilledthelastonedocumentedthere.Thisrecentsightingprompted
apetitiontothefederalgovernmenttolistthesocalledgreaterYosemite
populationoftheSierraNevadaredfoxasthreatened.That,inturn,setin
motionarecoveryeffortinthepark,directedbyMs.Stock,thathasalready
deployedmorecameras.Withluck,thesecatsizecanidsmightbecomea
commonsightalongYosemitestrails.
ThenthereisthetantalizingpossibilityraisedbytheGPSsatellitethat
pickedupasignalfromthecollarofgraywolfOR7ashewanderedfrom
OregonintoCaliforniain2011.Therehadnotbeenawolfsightingin
Californiasince1924,soOR7swalkaboutandthefactthatheworea
collarwasresponsibleforthelistingofgraywolvesasaCalifornia
EndangeredSpecies.OR7eventuallymeanderedbacktoOregontostarta
family.HeisnowthebreedingmaleofthesocalledRoguePackin
SouthernOregon.Justlastyear,however,awildlifesurveillancecamera
pickedupimagesofadifferentwolfpackinNorthernCalifornia.That
discoveryledtothedevelopmentofplansforprotectingthepackand
accommodatingwolveselsewhereinthestate,shouldtheyproliferate.
IndenselypopulatedCalifornia,aswolfnumbersgrow,theobvious
nextquestionwillbe,whataboutgrizzlybears?GrizzliesaretheCalifornia
stateanimal,afterall,featuredprominentlyontheCaliforniastateflag
despitethefactthatnogrizzlyhasbeensightedinCaliforniasincewolves
disappeared,in1924.BernieTershy,aconservationbiologistatthe
UniversityofCalifornia,SantaCruz,andacofounderofConservation
Metrics,pointsoutthatCaliforniahasimmensereachesofplausiblegrizzly
habitat,publicsentimentthatfavorswildlifeconservationandarobust
technologyindustry.Ifhugepredatorycarnivorescanbemadetocoexist
withhumansanywhere,ithastobehere.Unsightlycollarsonallthose

predatorsmightwelldiminishtheromance,butthatwouldbeasmallprice
topayforthepleasureoftheirenduringcompanyonthisearth.
Ilovedworkinginreallyremotepartsoftheworldwherethewildlife
wastherejustbecauseitwasthereandnoonewasmanagingit,saysMr.
Tershy,whospentyearsasafieldresearcher.AndIloveseeingbears
withoutcollars,buttheyregoingtohavetogetalongindenselypopulated
areasjustlikepeopledo.

DanielDuane,acontributingeditorforMensJournal,is
writingabookabouttheSierraNevada.
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AversionofthisopedappearsinprintonMarch13,2016,onpageSR1oftheNewYork
editionwiththeheadline:TheUnnaturalKingdom.

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