Wildlife exists everywhere and is not limited to isolated forests far away from civilization. Sometimes, animals may exist in our own backyard. At USC, a mammalogy class tracks squirrel populations on campus via collars that beep when an antenna is pointed in a squirrel’s direction. The class is one example of how tracking animals has evolved for big mammals like mountain lions, but remains a process that requires careful examination, as is the case with the squirrels. Through the process, students learn the value of researching wildlife and why it is important to keep track of animal populations we see every day.
Impact