William W. Cochran

2 men and 2 boys stand in front of a plane
W.W. Cochran, George Swenson, David Morpurgo, and Bill Cochran. Photo courtesy of University of Illinois Archives.

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.

Bird with antenna attached to it and sticking out
Bird with radio tracking device. Photo courtesy of University of Illinois Archives.

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.

  • Illinois Natural History Survey – This is where Cochran was employed and worked.

 

“An Engineer’s Approach to Wildlife Research.” (March 1971). Electrical Engineering Alumni News. Alumni and Faculty Biographical File. Record Series 26/4/1, Folder W.W. Cochran (’67). University of Illinois Archives.

Cochran, W. W., & Lord, R. D. (1963). A Radio-Tracking System for Wild Animals. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 27(1): 9–24. https://doi.org/10.2307/3797775 

Swenson, G. W. (n.d.). Radio Sociology. The Grainger College of Engineering. https://ece.illinois.edu/about/history/reminiscence/radsociology 

Wikelski, M., Kays, R. W., Kasdin, N.J., Thorup, K., Smith, J.A., Swenson, G.W. (2007). Going wild: what a global small-animal tracking system could do for experimental biologists. J Exp Biol, 210 (2): 181–186. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02629

(1975). The Illinois Natural Survey History Reports, (144).

(2022, Aug 24). William Walter Cochran Jr. Central Cremation Center. https://www.centralcremationcenter.com/search-obituaries-central-cremation-center-decatur-il/william-walter-cochran-jr/187/

 

Contributors: Morgan Fox