CORNERSTONE RESEARCH GROUP INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: AF182-031

Description

The negative effect of predators on populations of threatened and endangered species is a growing problem and increases the management burden on military and non-military land managers. Lethal means to control the overabundance of problematic predators has a long, checkered history as well as being highly controversial. An increasingly utilized method is behavior modification through aversion training of predators; implemented correctly, it can eliminate the undesired behavior for the lifetime of the trained animal. In social species, whose members monitor each other’s behavior, the potential exists for the desired behavior to spread to animals not directly affected by the treatment. This “force multiplier” could greatly amplify the benefits of each training event. In the Phase I effort, Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) and Hardshell Labs (HSL) applied recent advances in 3D printing and miniature electronics to demonstrate a practical approach to predatory behavior modification, utilizing thorough knowledge of the interaction of one problem predator, the Common Raven, with one species of concern, the Agassiz’ Desert Tortoise. CRG designed and demonstrated feasibility of a Predator Aversion Training System with a realistic 3D printed tortoise model, sensors for attack detection/recording, and an irritant delivery system. All Phase I technical objectives were achieved and a prototype was developed, which incorporated various subsystems that were demonstrated with a combination of benchtop testing and field testing. In this effort, CRG proposes to refine the system design and conduct extensive field testing to achieve a miniaturized system that effectively modifies predatory behavior. The approach can be widely applied to many such predator-prey combinations and can act as a template for a powerful wildlife management tool leveraging technological advances to “weaponize” models for highly targeted predator aversion training.