Darkness no longer possum’s friend

Media Release

14 November 2013

Darkness no longer possum’s friend

Possums may have trouble hiding under the cover of darkness thanks to research into thermal imaging cameras and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), outlined in this year’s Animal Health Board (AHB) annual report and research report

The research is an example of how technology is helping in the battle against bovine tuberculosis (TB). Thermal imaging cameras that can be attached to UAVs have the potential to enhance the TBfree New Zealand programme’s ability to survey possum densities and plan potential control work where their numbers are high enough to risk spreading TB to cattle and deer.

Advances in thermal imaging have led to it being used to track down criminals and even identify hotspots in bush fires. Exploring the technologies’ potential value in controlling TB in possums is part of the $2.5 million research and development programme run by TBfree New Zealand each year.

The past year has also shown the new national animal identification and tracing (NAIT) programme’s tremendous potential in investigating the farm of origin of individual animals that have tested positive to TB. Tracing animals more efficiently will lead to cost and time savings when examining movement-related herd infections.

Due to the formation of OSPRI New Zealand in mid-2013 following the merger of the AHB and NAIT Ltd, this will be the final AHB annual report and research report in its current form. As its name suggests, OSPRI aims to provide operational solutions for primary industries.

However, OSPRI Chief Executive William McCook has reassured herdowners that the TBfree New Zealand programme will not stray from its primary objective of eradicating bovine TB from wild animals, mainly possums, and keeping infected cattle and deer herds to low levels.

“We guarantee farmers that TBfree New Zealand will continue toward its goal of ridding the country of bovine TB. The core aim of the current national TB control plan is on eradicating the disease from at least one quarter of the country’s 10 million hectares of TB risk area,” said Mr McCook.

“This will build on the some 500,000 hectares of TB risk area in which the disease has already been eliminated from wild animals since the current plan started in mid-2011.”

The reduction in the size of New Zealand’s TB risk area is featured in the annual report, along with the significant sundry of achievements in controlling and eradicating bovine TB during 2012/13.

"Over this period alone, our proven three-pronged approach of disease management, wild animal control and herd movement restrictions extended the area free of TB by more than 400,000 hectares,” said Mr McCook.

A number of other highlights also feature in the annual report, including UK Rural Affairs Secretary of State Owen Paterson’s visit to a Wairarapa farm earlier this year to learn first-hand about New Zealand’s success in controlling the disease.

Among others, an innovative campaign was also launched to ensure contractors remain safe when operating quad bikes.

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