Monitoring with microchips: Microchip‐automated doors as a potential novel method for tracking the survival of released Northern Brown Bandicoots

Abstract

SummaryMonitoring animals after release to the wild is often limited due to financial and logistical constraints. Microchip‐automated technology has the potential to provide data on microchipped animals’ survival after release and allows access to only the intended, microchipped animals. We aimed to determine whether Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) trained to use microchip‐automated nest boxes in captivity would continue to use them after release back to the wild. Ten animals were brought into captivity and trained to use the nest boxes in as little as three days and then released back to the wild after approximately three months in captivity. Use of the nest boxes after release was recorded for up to a week. Eight of the ten animals used the nest boxes on the first night, but only two used them more than five days after release. Three of the animals did not use them at all after release. Whilst ongoing utilisation of the nest boxes was generally low, this technology shows great potential for other species that are hollow‐dependent.