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Ocelots - automated radio tracking of an elusive forest cat |
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Sunday, 12 November 2006 |
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Mysterious forest cats meets cutting edge science. Christians images on ocelots show intimate glimpses into a secretive animals life and also documents the exciting techniques that scientists use to understand the ocelots role in the ecosystem.
The ocelot is not only a fascinating creature of the neotropical jungle. As a key predator the species is also thought to play an important role to keep the rainforests delicate balance. Its secretive life style makes it hard to even determine its existence in an area, let alone to understand its biology. Scientists from Princeton Universityu and the New York Field Museum, working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute have now developed a novel technique that allows them to monitor individuals 24/7 with an automated telemetry to learn more about this beautiful cat.
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