We have restarted monitoring at Deployment Site One. The focus has been to return to the traditional five sounds we initially used to target possums. These are playing on a one minute interval (subject to battery level if the battery is charged more frequently the unit is programmed to play more often) with one of five random sounds. The site is being monitored by HD Cameras that are recording interactions at the site during the night. There is a Timms trap deployed at the site, baited with apple - the sound lure has been attached directly to the back of this unit as there has been a hole drilled via the back where the speaker is then linked to the unit. A second alternate unit has been placed next to the compost heap on the property bordering this location, to put it in context on the property itself twenty seven possums have been caught in the last three years, using a variety of bait (almost exclusively apple or pear)
In the previous nine days the stoat box, which has been deployed during the past six months recorded a strike of a rat. This is the first capture from this unit and it occurred sometime from December 23rd to December 31st. There was no sound lure operating during this time.
On the night of the 31st of December/1st of January there were a total of four visits from brush tailed possums visible on camera. None of the animals activated the trap - it appears that the black male that was present in November/December is still in the area and this animal in particular seems very trap wary. The alternate trap, placed next to the compost heap (without sound lure) was activated and a female was caught.
The follow night, with the same set up, including the same bait - there was some of the highest activity present during all recording. There were seventeen seperate series of video activations starting at 9:43pm and concluding at 4:12am on the morning of the second of January.
Above: This specific video deals with the sound lure/rat interaction from January 1st/2nd
The domestic cat was first on the scene, briefly at 9:43pm followed by a series of brush tailed possum activations. Possums arrived at 10:09pm, two were present at 10:22pm. At 10:32pm a male appeared which fled up a tree, returning at 10:42pm. In-between this a extremely large rat appeared at 10:38pm. The possum left at 10:48pm when another rat reappeared. Possums then came to the site at 12:19am on January 2nd and returned at 1:48am.
During this time there is clear evidence of the sound lure repeatedly operating with the various possums reacting to it (the rat showed no reaction) or continuing with their activity. There was one example of clear aversion from a black male at 10:32pm - although this animal clearly returned at 10:42pm. (This again is quite possibly the same male observed since November which is very careful around the trap).
At 1:48am another brush tailed possum arrived - and this animal activated the trap and was captured. This animal was able to pull the Timms trap down the hill and moved the setup, including the sound lure, which is why after the capture the lure is present and the trap itself is not, as it was just out of sight.
Above: Specific Highlights from Jan 1st/2nd a sample of the 17 distinct interactions recorded
There were further visits to the site following this capture at 2:47am, 3:02am, 3:21am, 3:44am and a final visit at 4:12am. In each of these visits animals arrived at the site and interacted or showed interest in the scene or the lure. There was no evidence of post capture activity towards the captured female.
In summary:
- there was heightened activity on the second night including a record number of visits: a record for this site.
- two day old apple proved successful at the river site (there was not a follow up strike on the compost site, which there is currently not a camera monitoring)
- the domestic cat visit was the first in a year or so, although the cat may well have been passing through the site and did not linger as it has done in the past
- the capture at the river was the first since November 17th and camera footage would show that there is a significant number of possum activity in this riparian planting area
- the rat is the first HD video footage that we have recorded, although there has been activity here in the past. It was interesting to see that the rat did not react to the possum noise and also was clearly in the vicinity at the same time as the possums.
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