Significant Rat Activity: Deployment Site One

We have recently begun the process of refining our deployment in preparation for the Possum part of the Curious Minds project.  As part of this process we have returned to deployment site one, which was previously used and considerable data logged.  At its height at this location at the tail end of summer there were anywhere up to a hundred activations on this site including large rats, mice and possums.

While yesterday was silent last night saw forty activations and included activity not seen before.  A large rat spent considerable time around the trap set up, including climbing over the boxes and inspecting the unit, this occurred over a duration where the lure was operating, and the lure did not scare the rat away.   The rat was subsequently trapped inside the rat box and caught.

At this point a second much larger rat, comparable to the biggest rat that has been seen at this location arrived and inspected the location.   During this time again the sound lure was repeatedly activating and had been placed on the box so it would have been loud.   The larger rat then fed on the smaller rat.  When the trap was cleared physically in the morning there was clear evidence that the first rat had been fed on.

This footage was viewed this morning, logged and then due to an extremely unfortunate technical issue the SD card with the data started displaying and error prior to it being copied across.  We are currently doing everything possible to try and retrieve this footage.

While this is only one nights activity there are some significant deductions that can be made.   

Firstly the first and second rat were not repelled by the fact that the sound lure was operating and was outside the box.   Given the duration and the time frame that both were present the lure would have been operating at full power and was outside of the box making it much louder than usual, and this was over a sustained period of time.   This did not deter either rat from the location.

Secondly it would appear that there is significant spring rat activity on this and the other side of the river which is back to levels that were noted previously at the end of Summer.    There has been a lull at this location where there was little activity previously noted.   We will continue to monitor this closely.