Scientists fit 75 pronghorns, fastest land animal in Americas, with GPS collars: What they found
Researchers have used GPS collars to track pronghorn migration patterns near a large solar farm in New Mexico. The study suggests that perimeter fencing at renewable energy sites may inadvertently disrupt ancient wildlife migration routes.
Why it matters
It highlights the environmental trade-offs of green energy infrastructure and the need for wildlife-friendly design in renewable projects.
Scientists fitted 75 female pronghorns, the fastest land animals in the Americas, with GPS collars in 2024, and the animals have been sending back location data ever since. The project, led by conservation group Wildlands Network near the San Juan Solar and Storage Project in New Mexico, is helping researchers understand how large solar farms affect wildlife movement. Early findings suggest that while solar energy projects help replace fossil fuels, fences around the facilities could be disrupting ancient migration routes used by pronghorn for thousands of years.GPS collar data tracks pronghorn movementAs mentioned above, researchers began the project in 2024 by fitting GPS collars on 75 female pronghorn near Farmington, New Mexico.
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