LETTS, Iowa (KWQC) - Virtual fencing is used to keep pets in designated areas outside.

The Nature Conservancy is testing the same concept, but with cattle.

A three-year pilot project kicked off this summer at the Swamp White Oak Preserve in eastern Iowa.

The cattle wear GPS collars that keep them in designated grazing areas, which could prevent them from going into wetlands or bird habitats and control invasive species.

It’s useful in flood-prone areas where building fences isn’t possible, and it saves time — rangers can move the virtual fence and track the herd right from a cell phone app.

“He did like the fact that he had some cattle that hadn’t calved yet, and he was able to find that cow on a map and see that she was still moving, or if she hadn’t moved for a while, or if she was

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