CASUS group leader Prof. Justin Calabrese and Dr. Inês Simoes Silva, postdoc in the Calabrese group, used the web app’s digital map to show various movement data and answered questions from the participants. People often asked what determines the range of motion of animals. In addition to species-specific factors such as speed and type of movement, food demanded, reproductive or hibernation behavior, the availability and accessibility of potential habitats play a crucial role. From the scientists’ point of view, fragmentation by settlements and roads is a major problem. Movement ecologists like Simoes Silva want to find out if and how essential infrastructure projects can be implemented so that their negative impact on ecosystems is minimized. In the future, settlements and infrastructures by and for humans can be designed so that important wildlife movement zones remain untouched. In addition, habitat fragmentation can be counteracted by wildlife bridges and other connections along highways and train routes. This can preserve or restore important migration routes or movement corridors.

Besides the king cobra, the jaguar was the guests’ favorite. Using two data sets from the app, those of the individuals named Zorro and Isabella, the differences in the movement behavior of males and females became clear: Zorro approached settlements and partially roamed through them. Isabella, on the other hand, always kept away. Other data corroborate this observation: compared to female jaguars male animals show a behavior that is judged as bolder and riskier when taking into account the dangers they encounter in human settlements.