Ohiti brings good news for the kiwi

12 November 2013

Ohiti brings good news for the kiwi

A trial in the Hamilton Gardens has proved a success for the prototype of a conservation management system designed by three third-year University of Waikato Computer Science students.

During the month-long trial, Jourdan Templeton, Nathan Holland and Stephen Quayle set up a chain of three Goodnature A24 rat traps roughly 50m–70m apart in a gully area in the gardens. Their management system, called Ohiti - the watchful eye on the kiwi - involves a small transmitter being connected to a trap that records each time it is triggered. The collected data is relayed in real time to a base unit. After processing, it is then uploaded to a server on the internet.

“We can collect a wide range of data every time a trap is activated. We use this data to provide information about the environment and the impact of pests in the area. For example, Ohiti could tell you the most active time for rats in summer,” says Jourdan.

“Our goal was two-fold. Firstly, we wanted to make it easy to maintain the traps without sending people on a hike to check each one. By reducing operational costs, more money can be made available to protect our kiwi. Secondly, we wanted to provide a portal which would enable conservationists to be more proactive in protecting native species.”

Wellington-based company Goodnature designs the humane traps that are now being used by the Department of Conservation to kill possums, rats and stoats. The trap works by luring rats into it with a peanut-based bait. As a rat is drawn to the peanutty delight, the trap is triggered and a CO2 gas-powered pneumatic bolt fires, killing the rat instantly.

Stephen says the benefits of this trap are that they don’t use poison and are self-reloading, firing up to 24 times before needing to be checked and reset.

“At the moment the transmitter technology works best in parks or bush-land near built-up areas as it is operating on a 2.4 gigahertz frequency. As the technology evolves, it will be able to be used in a broader range of environments.”

One of the challenges for the team was creating a waterproof housing so the electronics would continue to operate effectively, even in the rain.

“The idea was to test the technology in a real world situation, dealing with real problems, and that’s what we’ve managed to do,” says Nathan. “We even got to knock off a few rats in the process.”

Ohiti demonstrates the potential technology has in aiding the conservation and preservation of kiwi.

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