Animals.with.Cameras.S02E02.Australia
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00People have spent years trying to film the most intimate and dramatic moments in the
00:13lives of animals. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see the world from an animal's point of
00:19view? She's returned to the place that I can't follow her. So in this series, it's the animals
00:25that are doing the filming to reveal the secret side of their lives we've never seen before.
00:33That is lovely. Designing pioneering mini cameras for a huge range of animals.
00:42Everything is made to measure. I would never imagine you would ever see that from a bat's
00:47point of view. And we've teamed up with scientists who want to learn about the challenges animals
00:53face to help protect them in the future. She is potentially showing us parts of the ocean that no
01:01one has seen before. In this special episode, we head to Australia. Our koalas evening activities
01:09at odds with their dozy daytime reputation. Can kangaroos survive on the edge of urban expansion?
01:17And what has drawn 20,000 bats to life in a new city?
01:32On Australia's east coast, high in the towering trees of Queensland is one of the country's most
01:40iconic species. Best known for their love of eucalyptus leaves and dozing through the
01:46heat of the day. The koala. With specialized claws for gripping tree trunks up to 30 meters up
02:01and an excellent sense of smell for seeking out the freshest gum leaves.
02:06These marsupials are superbly adapted to their environment.
02:10With speckled bottoms to help with camouflage, these specially toughened rumps enable koalas
02:16to wedge themselves comfortably in tree forks, where they can sleep for up to 20 hours a day.
02:25Their tree hugging posture is more than an affectionate arboreal embrace too.
02:30Tree trunks can be as much as five degrees cooler than the surrounding air temperature,
02:36which in this region can reach a punishing 40 degrees celsius in the height of summer.
02:46Tree hugging is a means to keep cool as well as look effortlessly chilled.
02:52This one may look blissfully happy nestled in a tree, but koalas are in trouble.
02:59The open forest and bushland they call home is rapidly disappearing.
03:06Lost to agriculture, urban development and ever-increasing bushfires.
03:17There are now fewer than 35,000 left in this corner of Queensland.
03:22And each year, over 2,000 homeless koalas are taken into care.
03:29While much is known about koalas' daytime habits, what they do at night is still a mystery.
03:37This information, however, could be crucial to help conserve their population in the future.
03:41This is Hidden Vale, a 12,500 acre private property where the land and koala population are protected.
03:51It could be a candidate location to release koalas who have lost their homes.
04:02But first, it's vital to know how much space the wild koalas have left in this area.
04:06Andrew Tribe and Carmen Butler have been tracking the resident population here for the past two and a half years.
04:16There are an estimated 60 animals here, 20 of which are tagged and named.
04:24Miriam,
04:25and
04:26Carmen.
04:28There are an estimated 60 animals here, 20 of which are tagged and named.
04:35Miriam, Dave and Karen are just a few of the characters that call Hidden Vale home.
04:42Using lightweight GPS collars and VHF ear tags, Andrew is able to monitor their movements.
04:54Each caller sends a location reading every 12 hours.
04:58Andrew and Carmen can also track the koalas on foot during the day.
05:04But they know very little about the nocturnal escapades of the tagged koalas.
05:12So what do they get up to in the dark?
05:15Although Andrew's GPS collars track the koalas' movements, he can't see what the animals are actually doing.
05:22He wants to find out how much time the koalas spend eating.
05:26And if they get up to anything else in the dark.
05:32To find out, he needs on-board cameras.
05:36Footage of this behaviour could really help Andrew's ongoing tracking studies.
05:42And crucially, identify whether any rescued koalas could be introduced here.
05:48For our koala camera build, it's time to call on designer Chris Watts.
05:53An expert in bespoke camera technology, Chris has made cameras for animals of every shape and size.
06:01The koalas currently wear a collar like this with a GPS unit on top.
06:06And it has a counterweight underneath which keeps the aerial pointing upwards, which is really good for signal.
06:11We're going to take this weight away and that's where we're going to put our camera.
06:16And it's kind of fixed on a hinge, which means that when the koala is on the ground,
06:21when the koala is upright, it can hang against the body.
06:24And that's really good because we don't want a camera sticking out because they hug the trees.
06:30With the cameras built and ready to deploy, it's time to recruit our koala camera unit.
06:41The koalas at Hiddenvale are captured regularly for health checks.
06:44On the catch list this week are koalas Robin, Tom and Hunter.
06:53Andrew's team use a technique called flagging to encourage the koalas down from the gum tree
06:58and capture them with a minimum of stress.
07:04Get ready, mate, get ready.
07:09Stay still, stay still.
07:10Stay still, stay still.
07:14Stay still, stay still.
07:17OK, well done.
07:25Safely in their crates, our koalas make the short trip back to the vet centre
07:30for a health assessment and to be fitted with our cameras.
07:36Hunter is first.
07:38He's lightly anaesthetised and checked over by the veterinary team.
07:41Zero two earlier.
07:42Yes, he's still growing.
07:47He is approximately three and a half years old and he's in really nice body condition.
07:56All checked over, Chris gets to work attaching the camera to Hunter's collar.
08:01Yeah, the camera looks like it's fitting really nicely.
08:04And the thing that I wasn't able to test until now is to see how that hinge is working
08:09and see how it sits against the chest.
08:11It looks like it's spot on, so that's really good.
08:16After a few hours recovery, Hunter is ready to be released back into the tree where he was found.
08:25He's ready already.
08:26He's definitely seen it, hasn't he?
08:31And if we just stay really still and really quiet.
08:38That was a pretty calm release.
08:40Yeah, he's a pretty good boy.
08:41He's pretty calm.
08:43But although reunited with his tree, Hunter soon decides he'd prefer a different one.
08:50An interesting insight into how fast koalas can move if they want to.
09:00And as Hunter settles into his new tree, unhindered by his camera,
09:04Robin and Tom are also returned to the treetops.
09:10Now for the big test.
09:12What's the difference between a koala and a koala?
09:15Now for the big test.
09:17What shots will the koalas get?
09:21And what do these shots tell us about their night-time movements?
09:33After a night of recording, at first light, Chris, Andrew and Carmen are keen to retrieve the cameras.
09:44Armed with the koalas' GPS coordinates, it's not long before they track down Tom.
09:50Well, he's in a good position, not too high.
09:54With everyone poised for a catch, it's time for the release.
10:01So three, two, one, releasing.
10:06And the camera drops.
10:11Well, it's worked.
10:11It's a little bit far.
10:13And he's now moved higher, so that's all right, but he's otherwise undisturbed.
10:18OK, that's great.
10:20Next on the retrieval list is Hunter, who's snoozing through the heat of the day in an armbark tree.
10:29The big male is sitting high up in the tree, so the team put down a tarpaulin to catch the camera.
10:35Oblivious to the plans being made below, Hunter remains fast asleep,
10:42firmly hugging his camera to the tree trunk.
10:47Tarp at the ready, Andrew releases Hunter's camera.
10:50Sending.
10:52But nothing happens.
10:55Does it say released?
10:56It said sending released.
10:58Hunter, it seems, is asleep on the job.
11:01Hunter, it seems, is asleep on the job.
11:06I think, Hunter, we need you to move.
11:10Come on.
11:11Eventually, Hunter obliges.
11:14Oh, he's moving.
11:16Here we go.
11:18And this time, the team have more luck with the catch.
11:23While Hunter looks on bemused, the team head off to find Robin and the final camera.
11:32With everyone at a safe distance, Chris releases the camera.
11:36Three, two, one, releasing.
11:41Oh, here we go, it's coming down.
11:43Oh, missed that.
11:45Missed the tarpaulin by that much.
11:50With all our cameras back, and mostly in one piece, time to see what they reveal.
11:56At dusk, the team reconvene to have a look.
12:02For Carmen and Andrew, it's a tantalizing glimpse inside a koala's world.
12:09And it's a raucous start from Hunter.
12:15He is what's known as the king of the jungle.
12:18A raucous start from Hunter.
12:23He is what's known as bellowing.
12:27And this is the first time a koala bellow has been recorded at this proximity.
12:37Dominant males call out like this to advertise themselves to nearby females.
12:42And alert other males to stay away.
12:48Territorial call complete, it's time for dinner.
12:56By the looks of the thin branches, Hunter is precariously high in the treetops,
13:01reaching out for the newest, luscious growth.
13:07Koalas have two opposable thumbs on each front paw
13:11to help clasp tree trunks and grip branches.
13:15They've got a very strong grip.
13:17You haven't been gripped by a koala yet, have you?
13:19No.
13:21It's strong.
13:23Koalas almost exclusively feed on low-nutrient eucalyptus leaves.
13:28And they can nibble through almost half a kilo in one evening.
13:35These leaves are poisonous to most animals.
13:38But koalas have evolved to digest the toxins.
13:42And our camera records Hunter eating for three hours straight.
13:47Tom, on the other hand, is on the move.
13:52The cameras are equipped with night vision,
13:54but the koalas are working in near total darkness.
14:02A koala's eyesight is their weakest sense.
14:05So while on the ground, Tom regularly makes stops to check on the koalas.
14:11To check his surroundings.
14:15Tom is using his highly developed sense of smell to navigate,
14:18deliberately to orientate himself.
14:25And assess his surroundings.
14:29And he presses on,
14:31covering almost half a kilometre of ground in 30 minutes.
14:36For an arboreal species, this is a midnight marsupial marathon.
14:43So what about Robin?
14:51Her footage begins with a dedicated hunt for a new tree.
14:58Female koala home ranges are usually smaller than the males.
15:03The amount of time Robin is spending on the ground is unexpected.
15:07And dangerous.
15:09If there are any predators around, like dogs,
15:12they could pick up her scent and chase her down.
15:16After stopping at eight different trees along the way,
15:20Robin finally finds one she likes.
15:26Perhaps it's got a good eucalypt smell
15:29that maybe means there might be some good food up there.
15:32A lot of trees have different tannin levels.
15:35Yes.
15:35So she's sniffing those trees and deciding,
15:37do I want to go up there and eat?
15:40Koalas choose trees for specific reasons.
15:43Some are chosen as dedicated food trees
15:46and others are selected for the shelter they offer.
15:53Within minutes, Robin is in the very top of the tree she's been searching for.
15:58And as dawn breaks, she settles in for a snooze.
16:09Sitting up with paws crossed in front of the camera
16:13before moving to give the camera a good view of the sunrise.
16:20Our koalas have revealed themselves to be anything but dozy at night.
16:25A stark contrast to the lazy layabouts they appear to be during the day.
16:32While it was known that koalas climb down each night to pick a different tree,
16:37from observing Tom, Robin and Hunter,
16:40it's clear that koalas scale many trees over the course of an evening
16:46and are incredibly picky.
16:49They spend more time on the ground than anyone expected.
16:52It suggests that koalas need sizable reserves
16:55and many different types of trees to safeguard their future.
17:01Combined with Hidden Vale's tracking data,
17:04our camera footage is key for reserve managers like Andrew.
17:09This sort of information, I think, is vital
17:12if we're going to manage koalas and koala populations better.
17:17In South East Asia, there's a lot of information
17:20and a lot of information that we need to be able to manage koalas better.
17:25In South East Queensland, more than 2,000 koalas get brought into care
17:29every year, often because of habitat clearing.
17:33Many of those koalas can be rehabilitated and released back into the wild,
17:37but if they're going to survive,
17:39if they're going to contribute to the wild population,
17:41we have to find suitable habitat in which to release them.
17:45While Andrew better understand the needs of the population at Hidden Vale,
17:49they can also help identify other suitable habitats in Australia
17:53and ensure relocated koalas get exactly what they need to survive.
18:05It's a quick hop to our next story.
18:08An altogether very different marsupial.
18:13The kangaroo.
18:15Renowned for the spring in their step.
18:20Able to leap up to nine metres in a single stride.
18:24They can cover ground as fast as a racehorse.
18:29Of the four different species of kangaroo,
18:32the most numerous is the eastern grey,
18:35found in the east and the south of Australia.
18:38We're travelling to Coffs Harbour, 500 kilometres north of Sydney.
18:42This picturesque coastline is a growing metropolis
18:47and a popular holiday destination.
18:50It's also home to one of the most dense populations
18:54of eastern grey kangaroos in Australia.
18:57These voracious herbivores have a huge appetite for grass,
19:03grazing as much as 10 hours a day.
19:07But the kangaroos here have taken to hanging out with surfers
19:12on the beach.
19:15The question is, why?
19:21Despite their numbers, local highway expansion
19:24and new housing developments means this mob is under threat.
19:30And this is a key factor, the Pacific motorway.
19:36At 790 kilometres long,
19:38this coastal road connects Sydney in the south
19:41to the Gold Coast in the north.
19:46But it's confined the ruse of Coffs Harbour
19:48to a narrow strip of land between road and sea.
19:53If four lanes of traffic aren't enough,
19:56the fences either side make it impossible to cross.
20:01So the kangaroos are trapped here
20:03with less and less food to go around.
20:09Kangaroos don't come in all shapes,
20:11but they do come in all sizes.
20:15Big males are called boomers.
20:19The females are called flyers, and they're young joeys.
20:25No matter the size, these roos all appear to be underweight.
20:30With limited space and food on offer
20:32between the motorway and ocean,
20:34the roos have already been pushed onto the headland.
20:38And even the dunes, as they desperately attempt to find food.
20:43But are they going one step further and feeding on the beach itself?
20:48And if they are, can the cameras prove it?
20:52Dr Kathy Herbert from the University of Sydney
20:55has been studying the population here for the past five years.
20:59We've just noticed literally within the last year
21:02that we're seeing more and more animals on the beach.
21:04They're actually foraging on some of the vegetation on the sand dunes.
21:10But we're also seeing some interesting signs
21:12in terms of their tracks on the beaches.
21:14It's possible that maybe they're foraging on some sort of food source,
21:18which would be a really interesting and unique observation
21:21for this particular species.
21:23The eastern grey kangaroo tends to be most active
21:27early in the morning and at dusk when we can't see them.
21:30So by getting video footage,
21:32particularly overnight and really early in the morning,
21:34we might be able to unravel this mystery and figure out what they're doing.
21:40Kangaroos are crepuscular, feeding at dawn and dusk.
21:44So if they are going down to the waterline in the early hours,
21:48the tracks are gone by daybreak.
21:53The sandy shoreline, free of greenery,
21:56is certainly not an ideal habitat for these ravenous roos.
22:02So what could they be feeding on by the water's edge?
22:07It's something maybe the cameras can reveal.
22:11But how do you create a camera that can withstand being bounced around?
22:17It's another unique challenge for Chris.
22:20We've tried to use neoprene, which is kind of a stretching material,
22:24so it will move with the animal.
22:26And we have got a release mechanism, which is controllable by us.
22:30It's a small nylon cord that basically gets cut when we trigger it.
22:35And then that will just drop the whole thing away.
22:37But as a backup, if this failed, we've got a fail-safe,
22:40which is kind of a weak point in the collar,
22:42which is just made with a natural cotton.
22:46So we've got to make it strong enough, but also weak enough
22:49that if they didn't like it or wanted to get it off,
22:51they would easily come away.
22:53With the cameras ready, we now need our kangaroos.
23:01To get close enough to conduct her research, Kathy uses a tranquiliser gun.
23:15Sedated and safe, the roo is transferred so Kathy can assess its health.
23:20And we discover this female has a surprise in store.
23:24She's got a little one in the pouch.
23:27Oh, does she?
23:28Oh, my word, look at that.
23:31That is extraordinary.
23:35Jeez, that just defies belief.
23:37Yeah, so this one...
23:39It is, isn't it? It is.
23:41..is probably about the same size as this one.
23:44And it's a little bit bigger.
23:46It is, isn't it? It is.
23:48..is probably about ten weeks old.
23:52And we should be able to tell what sex it is.
23:56Gosh, it's so delicate.
23:58It's a female. OK.
23:59You can just see a little pouch.
24:01That is just extraordinary.
24:05The anaesthetic that Kathy uses won't pass into the mother's milk,
24:09so this little joey is completely unaffected by the procedure.
24:13As Kathy takes the rest of her measurements,
24:16Chris carefully attaches the camera.
24:20And she's left under a tree to wake up.
24:26But this roo is giving us the runaround.
24:29When we go back to check on her, all we find is a camera on the ground.
24:36It seems the quick-release collar is proving a little too easy to get out of.
24:44Its fail-safe, just a few strands of cotton, is still too fragile.
24:51Chris is going to redesign the collar overnight.
24:54But will it be enough to get our kangaroo shoot under way?
25:02From a species grappling with urban sprawl
25:05to one which has chosen to live right in the middle of it.
25:09For our next camera candidate,
25:11we're heading straight into the heart of the city.
25:16Adelaide, South Australia.
25:19In 2010, a small group of pioneers
25:22embarked on an epic journey to set up camp here.
25:2750 or so new arrivals have now grown to more than 22,000.
25:33Meet the grey-headed flying foxes.
25:36Usually found along the east coast,
25:38these intrepid travellers have flown 1,000 kilometres
25:42to settle in South Australia.
25:46Never before seen here, their sudden appearance was a complete mystery.
25:54Despite their fox-like faces, these are no canines.
25:58They are, in fact, one of Australia's largest species.
26:03They are, in fact, one of Australia's largest species of bat.
26:08Weighing up to a kilo,
26:10these magnificent flying mammals have a wingspan of over a metre.
26:15And unlike the smaller microbats,
26:17these giants don't echolocate or feed on insects.
26:23Instead, they eat flowers and fruit,
26:27giving them their other name, fruit bats.
26:32But can they find the right foods in their new city home?
26:37What has drawn them all the way to Adelaide?
26:42As a species, they're often unpopular for their large, noisy camps
26:46and appetite for food crops.
26:49To most, the sudden arrival of flying foxes in Adelaide was puzzling.
26:55But for wildlife vet Wayne Boardman and bat specialist Terry Reardon,
27:00their arrival was the perfect opportunity to study the species in more depth.
27:06What I love about them is that they're very smart, very intelligent.
27:10They've got this incredible physiology.
27:13They have developed great senses of smell, good eyesight, great hearing,
27:19and they've got this ability to move across a landscape.
27:22Wayne and his team at the University of Adelaide
27:25have tracked the flying fox's nocturnal movements using GPS collars.
27:30And discovered that they travel up to 80 kilometres a night
27:33when they fly off to forage.
27:37But they don't know what the bats are feeding on.
27:40Could food preference be a key reason behind the flying fox's arrival in the city?
27:46Flying foxes primarily eat gumflowers and some fruit.
27:54These mega bats can eat important agricultural crops,
27:58which is why many people consider them to be a pest.
28:03Their hunger for fruit is a particular worry for local farmers.
28:10The Adelaide region is home to numerous sugar-rich crops.
28:16Safe to say, Adelaide's new arrivals were not a welcome sight for local fruit producers.
28:22When we have a species that's quite contentious
28:25in terms of causing problems with commercial fruit,
28:28we want to try and find out exactly what they're eating.
28:31If we know that they're eating a lot of commercial fruit,
28:34what can we put in place to stop them?
28:36If they're not eating commercial fruit,
28:38then we can be happy that they are part of the landscape and we should enjoy them.
28:45And these much persecuted animals really should be celebrated.
28:49An individual flying fox will not only pollinate many plants,
28:53but disperse up to 60,000 seeds across the landscape every night.
29:01From a scientific point of view,
29:03flying foxes are extremely valuable for the environment,
29:08which is why Wayne is studying the ongoing health of the population here.
29:14But the only way to really understand their health
29:17the only way to really understand their world is to get amongst it.
29:22Something that is tricky enough during the day, but practically impossible at night.
29:28To answer Wayne's question of where they go and what they feed on,
29:33a wearable night-time camera is called for.
29:38Yet another task for Chris.
29:40And safe to say, this build has given him the most sleepless nights.
29:45So putting a camera on a bat has got to be
29:48the most challenging thing I've been asked to do yet.
29:52Although they are one of the biggest bat species, around 800 grams,
29:57that only gave me a weight limit of 35 grams.
30:00And that is equivalent to maybe two packets of chewing gum.
30:05And for that tiny payload, Chris has built a camera complete with infrared lights,
30:09a programmable on-board computer and a VHF tracker.
30:14The camera has been fitted onto a mini-backpack.
30:18This will help keep it out of the way when the bats are flying
30:20and when they're hanging upside down in the roost.
30:26As night falls, the flying foxes depart for their evening adventures.
30:36Just a few hours later, Chris and the team arrive at the Botanic Park
30:40to prepare for the flying foxes' return.
30:45It's a 3am start for scientist Wayne, Terry and a team of expert bat catchers.
30:54Wayne surveys the health of the flying fox population here twice a year.
30:59A process that involves capturing them, weighing them and taking samples.
31:05Which also gives us the perfect opportunity to attach our cameras.
31:10The flying foxes will be caught in a fine net suspended between two trees.
31:17Now it's a waiting game.
31:28And it's not long before one hits the net.
31:31Oh!
31:34All right.
31:40Have a bit of a chat, mate.
31:41Each flying fox caught is weighed as part of its check-up.
31:46And if one tips the scales at 700 grams or more,
31:50it's also big enough to carry one of our cameras.
31:54While the survey continues, already captured bats are hung in a bag
31:59for the short wait before going to the vet facility.
32:03For animals that naturally hang upside down, this has a calming effect.
32:08Yep, that's it.
32:10OK, up, up.
32:13By 5.30am, six flying foxes have been caught for Wayne's checks
32:18and hopefully our cameras.
32:26Back at the clinic, it's time to meet our first flying fox camera cadet.
32:32So I'm just going to get the mask.
32:33The process begins with a light anaesthesia.
32:38Safely asleep, Wayne conducts his research.
32:42As well as weight, he takes a blood sample,
32:45checks for body condition and collects some key measurements.
32:50Gloves on, it's time for the camera.
32:54And it's a great fit.
32:56I'm quite happy with that.
32:57It's sitting between the shoulder blades nicely.
32:59After Wayne fits the rest of the cameras and the anaesthetic has worn off,
33:04the flying foxes are ready to be returned to the camp.
33:12Wayne gently places our first crew member on the tree
33:15and it seems completely unfazed by its new high-tech backpack.
33:20It's a bit of a challenge, but it's worth it.
33:22It's a bit of a challenge, but it's worth it.
33:24It's a bit of a challenge, but it's worth it.
33:26It's a bit of a challenge, but it's worth it.
33:28It's a bit of a challenge, but it's worth it.
33:30But in a camp of 22,000, it's not long before it disappears from view.
33:41Thankfully, our long-lens camera finds it high on the treetops.
33:46As this is the first deployment,
33:49Chris wants to keep the flying fox in sight to make sure it's OK.
33:54The bat's actually just taken off.
33:57That's incredible.
33:57That's the first time we've ever had actual flying footage from a bat.
34:07Over the next hour, four more are released back into the camp,
34:11each of these carrying a camera
34:14to reveal their all-important nocturnal feeding habits.
34:27The setting sun is the cue for the flying foxes to depart and find food.
34:34Among the thousands that fill the sky are an aerial film unit of five.
34:40And as they disappear into the night, it's over to them to film for us.
34:46But will the cameras survive?
34:48And will the flying foxes bring their precious footage back tomorrow morning?
34:57Overnight, the filming flying foxes have been out on their errands
35:02and are now back in the camp.
35:05Chris is really hoping they've brought their cameras home with them.
35:13By plugging in the VHF frequency of the camera's transmitter,
35:17Chris and Terry manage to locate the first flying fox.
35:21Remarkably, within the minuscule 35-gram camera,
35:24Chris has built in a remote-controlled drop-off mechanism.
35:30But just as he's about to press the trigger, the flying fox takes to the skies.
35:38OK, triggering now.
35:41Sending.
35:41Released.
35:43Taking our footage with it.
35:51Don't fly away! Fly away! Yes!
35:53Look at that!
35:55Yeah!
35:57Woo-hoo!
35:59Yeah!
36:01Nice!
36:03Well, couldn't be happier than that.
36:05Just as planned.
36:07And with the rest of the cameras retrieved just as smoothly,
36:11it's time to see what our Megabat's mini-cameras have captured.
36:16The team settle down to watch the footage.
36:24Time for the all-important reveal of what this flying fox is going to feed on.
36:36It's a South Australian blue gum,
36:38a different variety to their usual East Coast food.
36:43This eucalyptus is an Adelaide native.
36:49It's an encouraging sign that the flying foxes aren't targeting crops
36:53and have instead adapted to a local species.
36:59This close proximity to feeding,
37:01we've never seen this sort of thing before.
37:05But it's reassuring to know that this flying fox
37:07hasn't gone into any commercial feed.
37:10And we quickly learn that flying foxes
37:12don't spend time in one place for very long.
37:20After a short flight,
37:22a new tree is selected
37:24and the flying fox announces its arrival.
37:30So this is really interesting.
37:32It looks like they're going from just in a few minutes
37:34to a few hours.
37:37It looks like they're going from just in a few minutes
37:39they've gone for three or four different feeding sites,
37:41which is nothing that we've ever seen before.
37:45We just think they go into one area
37:47and probably stay in a tree for a period of time.
37:49But it looks like they're flying around
37:51every minute or two to find some food.
37:55And it's off again.
37:59And this time we're in a different tree species.
38:03It is technically a fruit tree,
38:06a Port Jackson fig,
38:08but this is not a food crop.
38:12It's an ornamental tree
38:14commonly found in gardens and civic centres.
38:20A short flight later,
38:22it's back in a native blue gum.
38:24This is a surprising thing.
38:26I think just how quickly they're moving
38:28and eating blossom to blossom.
38:32They're clearly eating it really quickly
38:35and even though they can fly
38:37tens of kilometres a night,
38:39this flying fox has chosen to stay close to the city.
38:43And his back-mounted camera
38:45provides a great aerial perspective.
38:57With ornamental trees to feed on
38:59in the heart of the city,
39:01this flying fox doesn't need to go far.
39:05By first light,
39:07our filming flying foxes are back in the roost,
39:09hanging alongside their neighbours.
39:19We're seeing flying foxes flying around
39:21and seeing what they're doing
39:23like we've never seen it before.
39:25This is incredible.
39:29Importantly, our cameras have revealed
39:31that our flying foxes at least
39:34weren't targeting commercial fruit.
39:38It suggests that grey-headed flying foxes
39:40have simply relocated to Adelaide.
39:42Not because of its outlying crops
39:44but because of the many other
39:46food resources on offer in the city.
39:52The footage has also revealed
39:54unexpected insights for Wayne and Terry.
39:56It's certainly given us
39:58a great deal to work with.
40:00You watch these animals from the ground
40:03and you try and imagine what it's like
40:05and you see them feeding in trees.
40:09I wouldn't have imagined you'd ever see that
40:11from a bat's point of view.
40:13It's just remarkable technology.
40:19Our cameras have not only changed
40:21our understanding of Adelaide's population
40:25but of grey-headed flying foxes
40:27as a species.
40:33Back at Coffs Harbour
40:35on the east coast
40:37this population of kangaroos
40:39is feeling the urban squeeze.
40:43Trapped between a motorway and the ocean
40:45they are struggling to find food.
40:49Dr Kathy Herbert
40:51hopes our onboard cameras
40:53will reveal if these isolated roos
40:55are foraging on the beach to survive.
40:59However, so far
41:02the camera collars
41:04made with a quick release
41:06to come off if the animal gets snagged
41:08are falling off too easily.
41:12So Chris has added another
41:14six strands of cotton
41:16to strengthen the quick release.
41:20Camera modifications made
41:22we head out to hopefully
41:24find a kangaroo for our crew.
41:28Are you happy with everything?
41:31Yeah, camera's good to go.
41:37Time to put Chris's handiwork
41:39to the test.
41:43As the roo hops off
41:45the camera remains in place.
41:47It's a huge relief
41:49and knowing that the collars work
41:51we deploy another
41:53five cameras.
42:01It's now up to the kangaroos
42:03to capture the challenges they face.
42:09The next morning
42:11the search is on for our camera roos.
42:13Chris leads the way
42:15listening for the camera's
42:17VHF beep
42:19and before long we find
42:21one of our crew.
42:27To get the camera off
42:29it triggers the release.
42:31Okay, here we go.
42:37There we go.
42:39Here it is.
42:41Brilliant.
42:45With the first camera back
42:47we successfully retrieve the others.
42:49Sorry.
42:55With any luck
42:57they will show us
42:59what these resourceful roos
43:01are surviving on here.
43:05Set to record at first light
43:07when the roos are most active
43:11this individual
43:13is already on the move.
43:19And as dawn breaks
43:21we can see her joey is with her too.
43:35Joeys are weaned at around 18 months old
43:37but they often stay close
43:39to their mums for months after.
43:43Spending time alone
43:45with their mothers like this one is
43:47rather than being in the larger group
43:49also means they have a better chance
43:51of survival.
43:55Any head start is good
43:57for the youngsters here
43:59as our camera shows us just how poor
44:01this habitat is.
44:03The headland may look
44:05like a well kept lawn
44:07but there's little on offer here.
44:09With over 200 roos
44:11in such a small area
44:13this grass has been grazed
44:15to the ground.
44:17The density of animals also
44:19means where there is food
44:21there's faeces.
44:23A lot of the areas where they're grazing
44:25are contaminated but there's a little
44:27piece of faecal matter right there where she's grazing
44:29and that fits with what we're seeing
44:31in terms of the high levels of intestinal
44:33parasites.
44:35Poor feeding grounds lead to
44:37poorly conditioned animals.
44:39And grazing here risks
44:41spreading disease and infection
44:43amongst the population.
44:51But then we get the footage
44:53Cathy has been hoping for.
44:57One of our camera kangaroos
44:59hops onto the beach.
45:01Oh they're right out on the sand.
45:03Oh wow.
45:05So this is where those
45:07hopping marks that we can see where they're moving
45:09on the beach.
45:11At first she nibbles on
45:13dune grass, something Cathy
45:15has observed before.
45:21But then she moves further down the beach
45:23and begins to forage.
45:31Slim pickings amongst the pebbles
45:33and shells but it's
45:35food nonetheless.
45:37And our cameras
45:39give Cathy the all important
45:41opportunity to see what
45:43they're eating.
45:51And it doesn't look very nutritious.
45:55There's just a little bit of grass coming up in between
45:57the shells and the stones that have washed
45:59up from the ocean and
46:01maybe that's because the grass is a little bit longer
46:03there. There's not a lot of it but
46:05animals, other animals
46:07aren't there grazing with
46:09this animal so maybe there's less competition.
46:13This footage shows
46:15how these marginalised marsupials
46:17really are doing everything they
46:19can to survive.
46:21But grass and weeds on the
46:23shoreline is not enough food
46:25to sustain them long term.
46:29It all comes down to the way
46:31humans have modified
46:33the environment. They can't
46:35move the way they normally would move
46:37in the environment.
46:41I think for us to have a future, for these animals
46:43to have a future, it's about co-existence.
46:45It's about people and kangaroos sharing
46:47that same space.
46:49And hopefully through this
46:51footage and the other research that we're
46:53doing that we can really
46:55try and figure out how
46:57best to manage the landscape.
46:59After watching the footage,
47:01Cathy wants to see changes
47:03in urban planning
47:05to ensure new roads and suburbs
47:07consider the needs of kangaroos
47:09and enable them to move
47:11freely across the landscape.
47:13This will not
47:15only help the kangaroos here at Coffs Harbour
47:17but many others living
47:19up and down this busy coastline.
47:21Our Animals with Cameras
47:23adventures in Australia
47:25have given scientists an insight
47:27into how we can help
47:29conserve some of the country's unique
47:31and precious animals.
47:35Identifying how diverse
47:37koalas' habitat needs to be.
47:39How adaptation
47:41to new foods is a vital
47:43survival strategy.
47:45And how much
47:47space kangaroos need
47:49to live on this great
47:51continent.
47:53In an ever-changing
47:55world, let's hope this footage
47:57can go some way to safeguarding
47:59the future of these species
48:01in this truly
48:03magical country.
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