Move with wildlife. Learn from real journeys. Protect what matters.
Wild Tracks is a global movement and education initiative that turns real GPS-collared endangered animal journeys into shared human movement challenges to fund wildlife conservation.
THE CONCEPT
Across the world, conservationists fit endangered animals with GPS collars to understand their movement and the threats to their survival and to reduce human/wildlife conflict.
Wild Tracks transforms this real tracking data into a shared experience, helping people discover:
✓ how far animals really travel
✓ how habitat loss changes movement
✓ why corridors, rangelands and protected areas matter
✓ how human/wildlife conflict impacts animals and communities
✓ the impact of climate change on wildlife and communities
Movement becomes a powerful way to understand the natural world.
How it will work
Wild Tracks is built around a simple, flagship annual 7 day movement challenge.
✓ Participants pay an entry fee and then choose which real animal’s GPS track they would like to follow
✓ The animal’s movement over the week becomes a shared distance goal
✓ Participants contribute distance in any way they choose – walk, run, bike, swim etc.
✓ Progress is visualised on a map alongside the animal’s journey
✓ Photos, videos, ranger’s notes and conservancy storytelling bring the animal’s story to life for participants of all ages.
The emphasis is on participation, learning and collective fundraising effort, more than competition or elite fitness.
Participants & organisations looking for a more permanent and committed involvement with the initiative and with the Wild Tracks Foundation can opt for annual/corporate membership and will gain access to wider conservation resources and education material as well as ongoing personalised movement/fitness challenges etc.
With sensitive handling of the GPS data, Wild Tracks can help turn the significant costs of collaring and monitoring endangered wildlife into a sustainable and long-term financial revenue stream for wildlife charities and conservation bodies worldwide.
Who is this for
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Schools
Wild Tracks is designed to fit naturally into primary education and will offer all schools worldwide a 100% free Wild Tracks education programme that will provide real animals GPS movement data, conservation stories and info, workbooks etc.
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Families and communities
Wild Tracks offers a shared activity that works across ages and abilities — encouraging outdoor movement with a sense of purpose allowing children to learn about the natural world and endangered wildlife in a fun, safe and healthy environment.
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Organisations and sponsors
Wild Tracks provides a positive, measurable way to support education, health and conservation — with authentic stories grounded in real wildlife research.
Why it matters
Wild Tracks brings those hidden journeys into everyday life — making wildlife movement visible, understandable and relevant.
By connecting human movement to animal survival, Wild Tracks aims to:
✓ build long-term public support for conservation
✓ inspire curiosity about the natural world
✓ encourage healthy and inclusive physical activity
✓ support wildlife organisations working on the ground
Conservation first
Wild Tracks is built around respect for wildlife and the work of conservation partners.
The use of GPS data:
✓ funds monitoring and research
✓ informs habitat protection measures
✓ reduces human-wildlife conflict
✓ supports evidence-based conservation decisions
Transparency and real-world impact sit at the heart of the concept.
Where this is going
Wild Tracks is currently being developed as a digital platform and education resource.
The long-term vision is to enable:
✓ a mass public participation annual 7-day challenge
✓ a global community of people to connect their movement to conservation all year round
✓ a sponsor-funded Wild Tracks education enrichment programme for all schools
✓ ongoing support for wildlife conservation
Wildlife Data & Protection
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How Wildlife Data Is Used
✓ Movement data comes from existing GPS collars used by conservation NGOs
✓ Data is shared only for educational and conservation purposes
✓ Approved NGOs retain full ownership and control of all data
✓ Animal welfare takes priority over engagement or storytelling -
Safety Protections
✓ Minimum 24-hour delay on all location data
✓ No real-time tracking
✓ Location smoothing and offsetting where required
✓ Sensitive movements withheld if needed