\u201cThe cameras are set up for mammals, but the bio-acoustics are designed for bird calls,\u201d Watson says. \u201cThe plains-wanderers are very cryptic birds, and we would be extremely lucky for one to walk in front of a camera, but they have been sighted on a neighbouring property and I have no reason to believe they are not here.\u201d<\/p>\n
While bio-acoustics are being fine-tuned, motion cameras have long played a part in ecological surveys, picking up sightings of everything from the rare night parrot to the occasional naked human. On the Napco property, alongside the kowari and bilby cameras collected images of other vulnerable species, including letter-wing kites and black falcons.<\/p>\n
The camera monitoring program is part of nationwide wildlife survey work by the organisation, which included a sighting of Australia\u2019s rarest raptor the red goshawk at the AWC\u2019s Newhaven sanctuary last month \u2013 the first time the bird had been seen in central Australia for 30 years.<\/p>\n The pilot project, funded by the Queensland government\u2019s threatened species research grants, was used to help refine the use of AI recognition software for both visual and aural diagnostics. An additional 60 monitoring sites have already been deployed across Napco stations.<\/p>\n The monitoring cameras also track the presence of feral cats, the biggest threat to ground-dwelling native species and nesting birds. Feral cats were detected at half of the Napco camera sites and Watson says ecologists were \u201calarmed by the number of feral cats seen resting in raptor nests along creek lines\u201d.<\/p>\n Monitoring stations were placed both in nature reserves and in cattle paddocks across the station. Watson says the presence of native species alongside livestock suggests the two may be able to coexist if the land is managed correctly. \u201cWe are at the beginning of understanding the dynamics between cattle and conservation and this is important work in exploring how we can best work with pastoralists,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The cameras also detected multiple dingos across the Mitchell Grass downs and gibber plains, the animals\u2019 natural curiosity making for up close and personal shots. Managing the coexistance of dingoes with livestock is a trickier challenge, with many pastoralists still harbouring a deep animosity to the native dogs, but it is a possibility being explored by AWC and Napco.<\/p>\n Napco\u2019s chief executive, Allan Cooney, says the project is an opportunity to quantify the benefits of responsible pastoral management with meaningful conservation efforts. The company manages about 200,000 head of cattle and has dedicated 385,000ha as a nature reserve.<\/p>\n \u201cOur partnership with AWC allows us to deepen our understanding of the native and endangered species across our expansive estate,\u201d he says. \u201cThe data collected through this collaboration is invaluable for guiding sustainable practices that safeguard both wildlife and the resilience of these unique ecosystems.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re proud to see our land contributing to the preservation of Australia\u2019s threatened species and look forward to continuing this important work.\u201d<\/p>\n AWC\u2019s CEO, Tim Allard, said cross-sector collaboration is necessary. \u201cWith about 44% of Australia covered by pastoral land, collaboration is key to significantly scaling up conservation across the country and for securing the future of Australia\u2019s threatened wildlife.\u201d<\/p>\n