Made to protect native animals in the aftermath of a bushfire, Macquarie University mammal ecologist Alex Carthey’s clever invention is now being put to use in the wake of a devastating bushfire in NSW.
When an area burns out, animals have few places to hide from predators. This cardboard teepee has six separated spaces with various size openings to let in everything from bandicoots, possums and bush rats to reptiles and beetles.
“There is some shift in thinking towards maybe it’s not so much that most of them die in the fire, it’s that really dangerous post-fire period when we might lose the most animals,” says Dr Carthey.
An Australian conservator installs a habitat pod in a NSW area that has been burnt out by bushfires. IMAGE CREDIT: J Clarke, Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
The smallest holes let in enough light and air to allow vegetation to regenerate so there’s no further damage to the environment.
Previous devices created to accomplish the same goal include refuge tunnels made from chicken wire and shade cloth that took a lot of manpower to install. These new teepees are more affordable, quick to assemble and are perfect for Australian wildlife.
They are so easy to build and install that conservationists are even looking at using drones to land them in remote and hard to reach places.
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