The Green Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus archeri) is one of the several rare and endemic species found only in northern Australia tropical rainforests. With an unusual green tinge, this is the result of black, yellow and white hairs in its fur. With this excellent camouflage this animal can be observed at all levels of rainforest by a trained eye or by pure accident as it crashed to the ground from an height of 15 metres and surviving to tell the story.
This solitaire animal, is also the only one lacking a conventional sleeping den, resting in exposed branches at all hours of the day and night and in all types of seasonal conditions. Over a period of 15 years, a significant decline of numbers has been noticed in tropical rainforest areas where once, common numbers where repeatedly accounted for … and they are not alone.
Alberto Vale
Alberto Vale is an award-winning wildlife filmmaker, cinematographer, naturalist and citizen scientist based in Cairns, North Queensland, at the gateway to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. For more than two decades, Alberto has combined wildlife cinematography with an intimate knowledge of tropical habitats, guided by a simple principle: to film wildlife successfully, you must first understand its habitat and behaviour. As founder and President of the Australian Quoll Conservancy (AQC), he has spent more than a decade conducting non-invasive field research on the endangered northern spotted-tailed quoll, developing non-invasive techniques to identify and monitor individual animals, breeding and behaviour without conventional trapping. Through WildCAM Australia®, Alberto has produced and directed internationally broadcast natural-history documentaries, including Green Tree Ants – Friend or Foe?, Quolls: Fast & Furious, and his latest production, Quollity Breeding, narrated by veteran Australian voice-over artist Katherine Kennard. Today, Alberto continues to combine cinematography, natural history and citizen science, using the camera not simply to capture wildlife, but to reveal behaviour, contribute to conservation knowledge and bring the hidden lives of Australia's native species to audiences worldwide.
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