Bandicoot bunkers: training wild-caught northern brown bandicoots (Isoodon macrourus) to use microchip-automated safe refuge

Context: Soft-release involving supplementary feeding or shelter is commonly used in wildlife reintroduction and rehabilitation projects. However, competition for nestboxes and supplementary feed, as well as predation at feed stations or nestboxes, can reduce the benefits of soft-release. The use of microchip-automated technology can potentially alleviate these concerns, by providing targeted supplementation to only the intended, microchipped animals. Aims: We aimed to train wild-caught northern brown bandicoots, Isoodon macrourus, to use microchip-automated doors to access safe refuge. Methods: Bandicoots were trapped from the wild and brought to the Hidden Vale Wildlife Centre, where eight were trained to use the doors in a six-stage process, and then six were trained in a three-stage process, using a peanut butter reward. Key results: Bandicoots learned to use the doors in as few as 3 days. The duration of visits to the door generally increased during training, although the number of visits decreased. Conclusions: The bandicoots successfully learned to use the microchip-automated doors, which shows that this technology has great potential with wildlife, particularly given the short training times required. Implications: The use of these microchip-automated doors with wildlife has many potential applications, including supplementary feeding stations, nestboxes, monitoring in the wild, as well as enrichment for wild animals in captivity