Zoo uses thermal cameras to monitor hibernating possums

By Dean Murray

A zoo has shown how it uses technology to keep an eye on hibernating possums.

Healesville Sanctuary employs thermal cameras to allow keepers to see where the critically endangered mountain pygmy-possums are denning without waking them up.

As Australia's only hibernating marsupial, the possums usually sleep under snow for up to seven months in Victoria's alpine zone, while at the sanctuary they live in a climate-controlled possum lodge.

The mountain pygmy-possum is classified as critically endangered, with fewer than 2,000 believed to be in the wild.

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Threatened Species Keeper Amie Hindson said this year she wanted to experiment with using thermal imaging cameras to double-check the temperatures of the possums.

She said: "When in torpor (hibernation), mountain pygmy-possums can reduce their body temperature to two degrees Celsius. They curl their bodies into a little ball with their head tucked into their chest or abdomen. Sometimes, the females will tuck their little noses into their pouch.

"We already do weekly weight checks of the possums, record their activity levels each day, and record how much food they are consuming over the hibernation period. But it was pretty cool to see the difference on the thermal camera between an awake and torporing possum.

"Any additional monitoring of our nocturnal species that we can do without extra disturbance is something that is really important for the well-being of those species in our care."