Tracking elles

A project to conserve the Asian elephant has been launched by the Smithsonian Institution, USA, and the department of wildlife and national parks, Malaysia. Using radio collars and satellite tracking, the project will collect information on relocated animals. The collar carries an 'indestructible' plastic dome with a transmitter and other instruments. The cost of equipment and satellite tracking for a year is estimated to be around US $10,000 (The Futurist , Vol 30, No 6).