Camera and trap-shy mammals are coming out of their shells, or hollows, to explore biodegradable pyramid habitat units deployed by ecologists who were struggling to monitor some of Australia’s skittish, threatened species.
The cryptic Shark Bay Mouse and termite-eating Numbat were among the elusive animals gravitating towards the pyramids, called ReHabitat Pods, during a trial at Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s (AWC) Faure Island Wildlife Sanctuary in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area and Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary in the WA Wheatbelt. The sanctuaries are located on the traditional lands of the Malgana and Badimia people respectively.
Fifteen pods were deployed on each of Faure Island and Mt Gibson with motion sensor cameras waiting nearby to capture any wildlife activity. Monitoring species is the backbone of AWC’s science-informed approach to conservation and enables ecologists to measure and report on the status of wildlife populations, their persistence on sanctuary and whether threats are being effectively managed.
Over a five-month monitoring period, more than 1,500 images were recorded of notoriously elusive native animals as they confidently inspected, explored and even vandalised the ReHabitat Pods. On Faure Island, the cameras picked up 223 images of Shark Bay Mice at ReHabitat Pods, each of which spent almost three times longer at the pods than other monitoring stations. Down at Mt Gibson, six species of threatened mammals, including the endangered and difficult-to-monitor Numbat, were detected visiting the units.
“We had five times the detections on motion sensor cameras facing ReHabitat Pods than those just placed on the ground,” said Dr Bryony Palmer, AWC Wildlife Ecologist. “The species reacted differently to the units, mice were pictured climbing them, Numbats were stepping in and out, and the Banded Hare-wallabies were pictured nibbling at the outer layers of cardboard.”
Habitat Pods were designed by Dr Alex Carthey of Macquarie University and Mr Alex Goad of Reef Design Lab, leading to the creation of their conservation start-up ReHabitat, in the wake of the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfire season. They provide shelter to vulnerable wildlife in the aftermath of unplanned fires. With an innovative design, the pods are shaped as a six-sided pyramid, perforated with multiple small holes allowing small animals to scamper in and out to avoid predators.
Although wildlife monitoring was not an initial intention for the pods, AWC’s science team saw their potential for drawing out cryptic species.
“We had exhausted traditional methods in attempting to survey species like the Shark Bay Mice that either bypass our traps or are beaten to the bait by other, larger species such as bettongs,” explained Dr Palmer.
The team behind ReHabitat were delighted to see innovative use of the Habitat Pods, saying it presents opportunities for future trials aimed at improving biodiversity outcomes.
Dr Palmer and the team are planning their next trip to Faure Island in October 2024 with the hopes of detecting more of the safe haven’s smaller critters.
For more information on ReHabitat pods, click here. For more information on AWC’s work at Faure Island, click here and for Mt Gibson, click here.
The study at Faure Island and Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuaries is supported by funding from the Hermon Slade Foundation.
Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is a global leader in conservation, providing hope to Australia’s wildlife with a science-informed, land management partnership model that delivers high impact results. AWC is a national leader in landscape scale conservation land management, reintroductions of threatened species and the establishment of feral predator-free areas.
ReHabitat is a conservation start-up designing and deploying biodegradable habitat units to protect wildlife after fires or other natural disasters or as part of ecological restoration work. ReHabitat are happy to chat with anyone interested in using ReHabitat pods. For more information visit: https://rehabitat.au
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