HD Footage: Possum Interaction with Sound Lure

As a continuation of the recent experiment to record HD camera footage of the sound lure making brush tailed possum noises, with a concealment of the device inside a box, obscuring its view.    Last night activations have topped the previous night and we have seen similar levels of activity.

The first appearance from a mother and a juvenile took place between 9:21pm and 10:10 pm.   A male then appeared shortly afterwards before a smaller possum, quite possibly from earlier, spent time at the monitored site from 10:23pm until 10:30pm.   

This was followed by another male brush tailed possum who was present from 10:30pm until 10:37pm.   

 The juvenile then appeared for a minute, before the male appeared again followed by the female and the juvenile who were interacting.    The dark male appeared again at 10:55pm and left at 11:00pm before the female and juvenile appeared at 12:40am until 12:45am, making a final appearance at 1:57am  and were present at the recording site until 2:10am.    While there was only a small time between various possums viewing the footage makes it clear these were different animals and the only two who interacted were the adult female and the juvenile.

All in all there were ten distinct phases of activation from a minimum of what appeared to be at least four possums, a female and a juvenile and the two adult males, one which is clearly darker than the other.   This is consistent with the previous nights activities, although the number of activations has increased and there were seventy total activations/video footage.

The possum that jumps directly into the camera in this activation, returns to the site four minutes later and remains at the site and hears the sound lure activating several times, but continues to feed.

A summary of the activities from the evening has also seen the sound lure/bait station wrecked by possums dragging the boxes away, and showing interest with and interaction with the sound lure.   There is some evidence of adverse reaction, although this is limited (such as the possum jumping into the camera after an activation - however once this occurred the possum then returns to the site after a few seconds).   Clearly there were repeated activations when all (four) possums were at the site and they returned to the site repeatedly during the night.

HD Sound Lure Interaction - Possum Sounds

Over the weekend we have begun the important phase of testing the sound lure, but operating with an HD camera to record the interaction between the Brush Tailed possum and the sound lure.  It was previously suggested that the sound lure could potentially be acting as a deterrent to pest animals and instead of attracting them as intended could be causing them to avoid the area.

In the last week we used a unit which had a generic sound profile - this evidence suggested that the animals were non-plussed by the unit activating when they were in the area, particularly if they were feeding, as shown in various videos posted on this blog.

We are using for testing purposes a unit that has been deployed constantly now for two years (that is two years out exposed to the environment).   The unit has the standard five track set up, in that it is playing one of five random tracks at a one minute interval.   The unit is solar powered and is controlled via the same computer chip and MP3 player from two years ago.   The sounds that are being used have come from youtube, that is they were sourced from random brush tailed possum sounds that are freely available (and were prepared by students during the project last year).   

For the purpose of testing we placed the sound lure next to the existing stoat box.   We placed the sound lure inside a rat box which we then adjusted by blocking out the back, so that it was not visible for a possum to check directly inside the box.    There were some additional food that was placed next to the trap, carrots, as the key issue that was to be identified here was not to catch possums but to see what interaction would occur between possums and the lure.

Finally I would like to personally acknowledge the work on the project from Andrew Hornblow in Opunake who is responsible for the electronics for the project.  It has been and continues to be immense.   I would also like to make it clear that this project officially ending very soon - I am not personally, nor have I ever been a full time researcher on this project and it has been conducted in my spare time.  It would not have happened with the support of the Curious Minds Project from Venture Taranaki.   When that project concludes shortly the funding for the project will not continue (for instance we have a single tracking camera remaining from our outlay of five and are having to bring it in if there is a hint of rain in the area is case that it damaged by moisture).

A final reminder - this is a single nights activity we going to continue to monitor the effectiveness of the units and the sound interactions moving forward in a limited capacity.

The key question was - was the sound lure causing animals to avoid the area where it was operating.   

The answer, and I believe that we have the starting to compile evidence to back that up, is no.   

For the during of the evening at the location we have six specific possum visits starting at 9:30pm and concluding at 1:40am.   There were visits at 9:30pm (possum and baby) which appeared to return at 10:15pm.     There was a male present at the site at 10:06pm and a seperate male (which was clearly darker in colour) which appeared at 12:35am and returned repeatedly to the site between 12:35am and 1:40am.   There was a lone appearance on the tree with the camera on it which took place at 12:01am and it was impossible to see the possum other than its whiskers and fur.

There were thirty nine activations in total representing a twenty second video and while some are in sequence others are not with a break in between.  We saw what we would consider typical possum behaviour including the wrecking of the site and the sound lure box (which was dragged down the bank when it was operating) possums spending considerable time at the site when we know that the lure was operating (including a large male present from 1:20am until 1:40am which did not leave). 

We have a mountain of footage to work through, including interaction with the lure which we will process and post shortly.  Given the mountain of the footage that is being generated we will look at using specific highlights rather than posting the entire footage.

HD Video: Further Evidence of Lure Not a Deterrent

This update relates to the issue that we are currently investigating relating to the sound lure and the lure acting as a deterrent to possums or pest animals.   Previously we showed initial indications that the lure was working, but we switched to recording HD Camera Footage to observe what was happening when the unit was activating when there were pest animals present.

Last night there were a considerable number of activations at deployment site one.      In total we had ten visits during distinct time frames starting at 9:27pm and concluding at 1:14am.   The previous evening we had a number of visits and were unsure if it was repeated visits from the same possum, last night we can confirm multiple visits from different possums as there was a mother and a baby clearly visible.

There was multiple interactions between possum and the site and the unit -  with a variety of sounds of which the possum/s can be seen paying attention to the noise but clearly not fleeing or avoiding it.    We are continuing to record and analyse this data and continue to work with this current sound profile before switching to a possum profile and sounds shortly, which we will continue to document.

HD Video: Is the Sound Lure Acting as a Deterrent?

 As we wrap up the brush tailed possum part of the project we have looked and discussed ways of interpreting the data that we have gathered and further refining our recording.   One aspect that we looked at during the project was recording specific data about the number of animals that were arriving at the location where the units were deployed and comparing this against non lure location.   We intended at some point to look at video evidence but wanted to complete other parts of the project first.

We have recently begun the HD Video gathering of data at locations that we have access to, with the purpose of viewing exactly what is happening with the animals that are interacting with the sound lure, and one question that has constantly been raised is if the lure itself is acting as a deterrent to the animals (that is, it is scaring the animals away as has been suggested).   

We have returned to deployment site one, once again as it is easily accessed from our current location and meets the criteria set out within COVID 19 Lockdown restrictions.    We have returned to using the original lure, the last of the remaining five original units that were built.   This has not been significantly reconfigured since it was built (other than some minor adjustments) and is still operating - two years later with the same battery, water proofing etc.   It is currently set to a day/night profile with the intention of it focussing on a stoat that is known to be in the area, however it is also operating with the five sound profiles (stoat, rat, distressed rabbit, rat, chick) to see what reaction it would create.

Previously at this location we have seen evidence of brush tailed possums, rats, mice, domestic cats, feral cats and hedgehogs.   There has been a stoat (confirmed sighting) once, earlier this year (but not photographed).

On the first night of the HD video input a rat climbed over the unit and disappeared, this was not during the time that a sound was activating (the sound profile is on the default of one minute depending on the relative battery charge).

On the second night there was significant activity.   The site was visited repeatedly by a brush tailed possum.   When the footage from the site was reviewed, the audio revealed clearly that the unit operated on a minimum of three occasions when the possum was present and this did not adversely affect its behaviour - other than showing interest in where the noise was coming from.

The entire footage from the night of activations includes the possum repeatedly returning to the site and also interacting with the trap.    The unit is contained within a DOC 200 there is no way for the possum to enter the trap as it is designed for a stoat - and it contains salted rabbit within, instead of peanut butter or something that potentially the possum would target to consume.

For the purpose of raw data we would describe the same possum at the location for simplicity.

A brush tailed possum was at the site at 10:26pm, returned at 10:42pm, was active particularly from 11:26pm until 11:54pm (with a total of nine seperate interactions), returned again at 1:00am, at 1:18am and appeared for a final time between 1:34am and 1:36am.    There were seventeen total activations that occurred, on a ten second timer.

While this is very basic data from a single night - one would suggest that if a possum is returning to the site on seven seperate occasions (or of course multiple possums are visiting the site) the possums when present are involved in other activities (for instance what was not recorded was the possum wrecking the sound lure deployment by jumping over the device) it is not being deterred by the sound lure.   It is showing interest in the unit and remaining on site to take food, including showing interest but not fleeing or showing signs of panic when the unit is operating.

We of course will be refining the lure by using brush tailed possum sounds to determine the activation shortly and identifying and reporting on this data.   The full video of activations from the night is featured below, please note this location is adjacent to a river, hence the sound in the background.

End of Phase Trial: Student Deployment

We have recently completed the school holidays here in South Taranaki.  As part of our trial we wanted to have student (Year Five and Six, ten and eleven year old students) use and deploy the sound lures during the break with two goals - to monitor the results that would come as a result.

The results were limited due to the possum take being limited during the two week window.   There were five locations that deployed with two different set up. At each location a sound lure and a Timms trap at one location and a Timms and a no sound lure.   Four of the locations had no strikes at either (that is there were no possum takes during the two weeks).   At the fifth location, there were three strikes and all of these occurred at the location of the sound lure - including the possum shown in the picture in the top left hand corner.   All three possums appear to have been drawn towards the location from where the sound lure was emitting sound and have then been caught in the Timms trap.

Ideally the results from this deployment would like to be more robust however they are what they are and the students had an opportunity to run a trial for two weeks independently.   The next step in the process is running additional trials but targeting locations where we are able to interact with adults who are involved in possum trapping.

We intend to revisit the farm location that we were monitoring with the cameras and sound lures last year, as well as a number of other locations in Taranaki.   We are also mindful of the developing situation potentially with COVID-19 and the Delta variant here in New Zealand and that limiting or the potential to limit the final possum part of our project.

Our Curious Minds Project is drawing to a close which will end a significant phase of our project - we will end the possum focus and start diversifying as we end the major focus of the project.

As always we are looking for potential trails and if you are interested in either discussing this project or using the technology that we have developed then you are welcome to contact us.

New Plymouth Airpot - Completing Deployment and Reflection

 

We have completed the deployment of our project at New Plymouth Airport.    We have collected the three units that have been deployed at the location for the past twelve months.

During that time the units contained within the two rat boxes and a DOC 200 stoat box have been exposed to outside elements including an extremely wet winter.  They have been placed at three seperate locations with the new solar panel set up.   Two have been using T-Rex rat traps and the third was set with the DOC 200.

In total there has been two years when the units have been deployed.   During this time there was a stoat that was caught within three days of the initial deployment of the first sound lure at the airpot, using peanut butter as a bait, in June 2020 and a distressed rabbit sound profile.      

While we had high hopes after this strike so soon after the deployment that was not the case following this incident.   Of note prior to the capture Stoats had not been sighted at the airport and there has been only a sole sighting following this and no active captures or trapping of any creatures that are targeted.

Interestingly and worth further investigating this was repeated when Feral Control were running experimental trials of the lure in April this year, a large stoat was trapped three days after the first use of the sound lure, in a very short time frame.   Again while there were initial success with the use of the sound lure with the same profile this was not repeated and the significant sound lure trial that feral control are running has yet to lead to success.

The evaluation of the units that were deployed at the airport has seen two of the three units ceasing to function due to weather conditions, although a timeframe for this cannot be established.  One of the units was operating as expected and continue to emit sounds despite the fact that it has been outside for a calendar year.   Two of the other units had damage to the solar panel connections that had been made, one where the connecting wire had separated from back of the panel and the other had water damage to the terminals.    There was considerable weathering on the solar panels, the wires and the units in general had clear discolouration.

Having said all this - the units have held up remarkably well and the fact that one unit has survived twelve months without needing attention is a significant development.   There has always been the consideration relating to the level of noise being emitted from the units (which we will be experimenting with in the future) that stoats are going to require something more subtle where-as the possum units are showing clear interactions and attacks on the units.    We have not targeted rats at this point as we are completing our obligations and data gathering for the curious minds project, however this is something that we will switch our attention to once this part of the project is complete.

It goes without saying that we owe a significant vote of thanks to New Plymouth Airport for allowing the deployment of the units over the past two years which has allowed us to conduct significant testing on the units to check their viability and effectiveness.

Credit: The Stoat Capture photo was supplied to us by Lance from Feral Control.

Confirmed Stoat Sighting - Deployment Site One

 

Please note: this monitored activity is taking place during a national Covid-19 Level Three lockdown, it is within close walking distance (deployment site one) of a residential house.   There was no violation of the lockdown rules.

While we have been continuing to monitor the effectiveness of the possum targeted sound lure, in preparation for our final deployment and we are continuing see strong results (with only a small fraction of the images capture being posted here) we can also now confirm that stoats are in the main deployment area (location one).

After two years of tracking stoats, including a close encounter when a ferret walked into school and came up the ramp to a classroom and was seen peering in the door window, there was this morning a verified stoat sighting in the area adjacent to the main possum testing area.   In the photograph on the left on the ledge that is immediately above the river a stoat was clearly seen making its way along the length of it a nine o'clock in the morning.   It could be identified by its colour, shape and there was the tell tale sign of the black tip on its tail.   This has meant that a focus has now shifted with an addition DOC200 being placed in the field adjacent to where the stoat was seen with chicken meat and a basic sound lure set up.   Once it is possible the site will be upgraded with a targeted sound lure and salted rabbit meat (this is not possible due to movement restrictions).    We will also be experimenting with various sound profiles targeting the stoats that we now know are in the area.  We have previously used this location as a testing site.

We have just started spring in New Zealand, which is the start of a new season and crucially a new stoat hunting season, as we know stoats are hunting during this time for their kitts.   

Also of note are a series of images from last night, again showing considerable interest in the sound lure as opposed to the bait that is in the general area. The brush tailed possum in these series of photos can be clearly seen crouching down to observe or interact the rat box (which is where the sound lure is operating from) it is doing so at the time that there is a variety of food items placed around the location of the trap.  The possum is not feeding on the food it is instead clearly concentrating on the sound.