AI-Powered Innovation Targets Feral Cats to Protect Threatened Native Wildlife

A new AI-powered device being rolled out nationwide is showing promising signs it could be a game changer for feral cat management and the fight to protect native species.  

Feral cats kill over 1.5 billion native animals annually and have already contributed to the extinction of 27 Australian species. They are widely considered to be one of the most successful and damaging invasive animals in the country.  

The Humane Animal Net Device (HAND) is a soft net trap that uses a new high-tech camera coupled with AI image recognition to identify feral cats and trigger a remote capture mechanism. Once a cat is caught, it sends real-time alerts via satellite or 5G connection to a mobile app.  

A partnership between the national conservation charity Bush Heritage Australia, First Nations business Timberscope and tech provider eVorta has enabled the design and development of this cutting-edge AI-powered device.  

James Smith, Senior Ecologist at Bush Heritage said that remote motion-sensor cameras had remained relatively unchanged for a number of years.  

“What was considered state of the art a while ago is now the equivalent of a horse and cart compared to the technology out there we could be using.”  

In June 2025, the first feral cat was successfully captured by a HAND trap at Bush Heritage Australia’s Naree Reserve on Budjiti Country in northern New South Wales.  

“With this new HAND trap, we’ll save thousands of hours that have previously been spent driving to and checking traps,” said James. 

“They can now be deployed and sit there running on solar power, even in really remote areas, and we’ll receive live updates of what is happening in the field straight to our phones via an app, so we know when we need to go and check it.” 

The new camera technology integrated with the HAND trap will also alleviate many problems existing motion-sensor cameras have.  

“It’s incredibly customisable and it uses thermal technology to identify animals based on temperature, not just movement. It’s a ‘smart’ camera in lots of ways, so will ignore false triggers that would traditionally fill up our SD cards with images of things like waving grass,” explained James. 

In addition to the HAND trap, Bush Heritage and eVorta are developing the Cat Audio Deterrent – a completely customisable device designed to create an invisible barrier for cats around ecologically sensitive areas. It works by emitting high-frequency sounds audible to cats but not to most native animals, forcing the cat to avoid key habitats such as nesting sites or gaps in predator exclusion fences. 

Construction and deployment of more than 100 HAND traps and 20 Cat Audio Deterrent devices is now underway across nine trial sites nationwide, including Bush Heritage reserves, remote islands, and fragile alpine ecosystems.  

One trial site is French Island on Bunurong Country in Victoria, a sanctuary for native wildlife including the endangered Eastern-barred Bandicoot and Long-nosed Potoroo and a priority place under the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032. Timberscope co-founder Rod Brindley is optimistic about the impact these devices could have. 

“I don’t think there’s a better way to describe it than absolutely game changing,” he said.  

“We’ve had prior success with trapping on French Island, however without the AI technology we were regularly catching non-target animals like bandicoots and echidnas as well.” 

“The HAND trap combined with the AI-technology will be another great tool to have in the field, and we’re hoping to make these a lot more affordable and available to the wider industry to use in future work,” he added. 

This initiative received grant funding from the Australian Government’s Saving Native Species Program as part of the Threat Innovations Grants, which supports innovative new tools, methods, technologies and products to drive long-term conservation outcomes. 

“Conservation managers need a range of tools to help our irreplaceable native species like eastern barred bandicoots and long-nosed potoroos survive the impacts of feral cats” said Dr Fiona Fraser, Australia’s Threatened Species Commissioner.  

“I’m excited to see new innovations, like the HAND trap, being used to bring threatened species back from the brink.” 

“This project is about building our capacity as a sector to work smarter and more efficiently to achieve the best outcomes possible for native wildlife,” James concluded.  

“We’re proud to be bringing together the strengths of the technology and conservation sectors to help deliver innovative solutions to protect Australia’s unique biodiversity.” 

ENDS

For images, please click here. 

About Bush Heritage Australia

Bush Heritage Australia is a leading not-for-profit conservation organisation that protects ecosystems and wildlife across the continent. We use the best science, conservation and right-way knowledge to deliver landscape-scale impact. We’re on the ground, working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the agricultural sector to make sure our impact is deep, sustainable and collaborative.  

Images

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Timberscope's Rod Brindley and Bush Heritage's James Smith inspect the new AI-powered trap. Image credit: Grassland Films.

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French Island is one of nine trial sites where the new technology is being deployed. Image credit Grassland Films.

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Eastern-barred Bandicoots are one of the many native species which will benefit from this new technology. Image Credit Bruce Thomson.

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