Radio-telemetry as an aid to environmental contaminant evaluation of mobile wildlife species

Radio transmitters are a useful tool in determining the degree of use of and extent of movement from contaminated sites by highly mobile wildlife species. Programs monitoring wildlife species for environmental contaminants from localized sources can maximize the amount of information obtained from an individual animal by using radio-telemetry to ascertain residence history. The use of radio-telemetry techniques on two mobile wildlife species, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), to document their use of and movement from low-level radionuclide contaminated waste ponds are described.