William W. Cochran

Natural History Survey wildlife biologist William W. “Bill” Cochran pioneered a radio-tracking system for smaller wild woodland animals like rabbits, raccoons, ducks, and skunks. The receivers could track over 100 animals at a time due to the use of radio signals, each animal’s designated signal could be separated by 1 mc without interfering with the others. Attached by harnesses or collars, they provided researchers triangulated locations and continuous data of animal movements in a more effective and efficient manner than seen before.

Bill Cochran published the process of harnessing this radio-tracking technology with Rexford D. Lord Jr., in 1963. The innovation of animal tracking with radio telemetry opened the way for small animals to be used in global research. Prior to Cochran’s innovation the long-distance migration and dispersal dynamics of small animals was a biological mystery, only larger animals were able to be tracked over long distances before then as previous trackers often affected the behavior of the smaller animals.