Enduro Camera Footage “Survey Gold” for Kangaroo Island Dunnart Recovery

After bushfires devastated Kangaroo Island (SA) in the summer of 2019/2020, a little-known endangered mammal, the KI dunnart, and its recovery team were thrust into the limelight.

Fortunately, the attention brought with it the funding this KI species so desperately needed for its survival.

OCA Enduro cameras have been helping the hard-working team of ecologists, local landholders, and volunteers to bring these critically endangered marsupials back from the brink of extinction.

However, as the years roll by more is needed to continue conservation efforts.

With more than two-thirds of Kangaroo Island burnt in the fires, the KI dunnarts lost 95% of their natural habitat. No one knew how many dunnarts may have survived in the remaining parts of unburnt vegetation.

Since 2018, NGO KI Land for Wildlife had been focused on working with local landholders to reduce key threats such as feral cats and pigs, while also monitoring wildlife and providing safe havens for threatened species on the island, including the KI dunnart.

KI Land for Wildlife’s team of ecologists were perfectly placed to increase efforts in post-fire monitoring of the island’s threatened species, including the dunnart.

“We have 80 member properties across private lands (approximately 25,000ha), which means we have a great opportunity to increase knowledge in threatened species through the use of camera monitoring technology post fire,” Heidi Groffen from KI Land for Wildlife said.

Feral cats are the major cause of mammal extinction in Australia. KI LFW – in partnership with Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) and the Doube family landholders – built a feral cat exclusion fence around a population of KI dunnarts that were persisting in small unburnt patches of bushland.

Heidi Groffen from KI Land for Wildlife checks one of OCA’s Enduro cameras.

The Western River Refuge was officially launched in early 2021 – a fenced haven of 369ha, declared free of feral predators, protecting not only the KI dunnart but also the Southern brown bandicoot, White-bellied whipbird, Southern emu wren and the Endangered KI echidna.

OCA Swift Enduro cameras have been placed along the fence line and work in two ways.

“We have Wide-Angle cameras which are used for identifying feral cats and pigs and support follow up management. We also use re-focused cameras for monitoring small mammals along survey fence lines,” Heidi said.

The Kangaroo Island Dunnart.  The star of the show.
Swift Enduro Standard Refocused Lens

Many of these small mammals are tricky to trap and would normally avoid being seen, making it difficult for researchers to determine population growth or collect behavioural data.

“The camera footage is survey gold, the images help us learn more about threatened species and are a really great way to engage private landholders and school groups in conservation and bushfire recovery.” Heidi said.

“The cameras have been amazing. They give us great images and last a long time out in the field, without having to constantly visit them,” Heidi said.

In the months following the Western River Refuge completion, survey signs have been very encouraging with cameras detecting female KI dunnarts with what appears to be pouch young.

“The re-focussed Swift Enduro cameras give a really clear image. We can sometimes identify individual animals, and smaller juveniles from adults which helps us better understand the species’ reproduction trends,” Heidi said.

“We then use the Evorta AI software program to analyse this data. Sorting through the data can be very time consuming, so once we have trained Evorta (to recognise specific species) it will be very useful,” Heidi said.

The Swift Enduro refocussed cameras are a modified version of the Enduro that enables small mammals to be photographed clearly at close range.  The cameras can be set for any distance but for most small mammal work they are set to 50-60cm.

The wide-angle Enduro cameras are set around the outside of the fenced area; if a feral cat does move past the camera array, it will be photographed which helps guide control efforts.

“If we see one, we can usually pick it up within a week,” Heidi said.

It’s a long road ahead but the constant and prolonged cat control efforts will reduce the pressure on threatened species.

However, feral cats breed quickly and can repopulate areas rapidly, highlighting the need for continued and consistent control and conservation programs.

This year, Heidi’s primary focus is on securing more funds to continue their conservation program, as much of their financial support will finish in June.

“Thanks to the cameras, we have some great images to share with landholders, funding partners and the community. Securing their support as well as further funding is paramount for the programs continued success,” Heidi said.

“We hope to keep monitoring long term with our cameras and are very thankful for OCA’s support.”

If you’d like to support KI’s threatened species, you can visit the KI Land for Wildlife Facebook page or donate to:

Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife Association Incorporated. BSB- 105 094 Account- 034907340.

Bassian thrush demonstrating its camo plumage and the clarity of the Swift Enduro camera with a refocused lens.

A native Australian bush rat. One of the many native species benefiting from the removal of  feral cats.
Swift Enduro Standard Refocused Lens

Great series the team captured of a Wedge tailed eagle defending its fresh kill of Australian raven from its distraught parents. The harsh realities of nature right there.  It’s great to capture these things that go on everyday thousands of times over all through the Australian bush.
Swift Enduro Wide Angle Lens

Feral cat with a freshly killed native bush rat.  Exactly what the KILFW team is trying to prevent from happening every night. Researchers have found up to 40 different animals inside the stomach of just one cat.
Swift Enduro Wide Angle Lens

Great shot of a Rosenberg’s goanna.  KI is the only place this species now exists in South Australia and its population here is also in decline.
Swift Enduro Standard Refocused Lens

Southern brown bandicoot image on the eVorta platform.  Using machine learning eVorta identifies animal species that have been trained into it making the process of sorting through millions of images much faster.
Swift Enduro Standard Refocused Lens

Images kindly provided by Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife

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