The study was published in Science. It is a six-year global project led by Yale researchers and many other organisations. Ruth Oliver and Scott Yanco were among the leaders of the team.
Scientists used GPS devices to track 37 species across the United States and collected millions of location points from more than 4,500 animals. Tracked species included deer, wolves, coyotes, vultures, hawks and ducks.
The team also used mobile phone and satellite data. Lockdowns in 2020 changed where people went and helped separate the effect of people from long-term landscape change. More than half of species changed behaviour when people were present.
Difficult words
- global — relating to the whole world or worldwide
- species — different kinds of living animals or plants
- device — a piece of equipment that does a jobdevices
- satellite — a machine in space that sends data
- lockdown — a time when people must stay at homeLockdowns
- behaviour — the way a person or animal acts
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Did you see different animals near your home during lockdowns?
- Would you like to help scientists track animals? Why or why not?
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