Animal tracking involves identifying and interpreting animal tracks and signs, as well as following the subtle signs of wild creatures over varied terrain. Tracking is about finding animals.

Animal tracking skills are real and can be learned by anyone with patience and persistence. Tracking is both science and storytelling, and the competent tracker is a practitioner of both. The science is in weighing the evidence at hand, and the storytelling is the interpretation of the scientific evidence with your logical mind and imagination—it is the reporting phase of science. One cannot be an effective tracker without practicing both skills.

Animal Tracking Certification

Tracking skills are employed in conservation efforts and research projects, ecotourism, and educational programs for people of every age interested in learning more about the natural world around them. These efforts, however, are only as good as the field skills of the people doing the work. For this reason, we launched field tests and a certification process in North America in 2005, for people interested in utilizing their tracking skills for the public good. We employ CyberTracker Conservation’s international tracking standards, and work across North America testing and certifying tracking skills. For more information about this process and a calendar of future events, please visit TrackerCertification.com.