Big brother is always watching.
At least for the pests in and around Centennial Park and the Highfield Golf Course.
Six AI cameras have been gifted to Predator Free Timaru from the Timaru Rotary Club.
Predator Free committee member Tim Exton said he was ‘‘absolutely thrilled’’ with the donation.
Mr Exton said during the day the cameras monitored bird sound and bird life, and at night they worked as a thermal camera, being able to identify pests.
He said trapping was a science, but if people were unsure what they were trying to trap then it was not much good.
As one predator was removed from the area, then another one might become more prevalent.
As an example, where Mr Exton had trapped along the river, it had shown when stoats were removed, weasels moved in.
Trapping their food source could result in them ‘‘prey switching’’ from rabbits to potentially a native prey.
He said the cameras assisting trapping should see a change in birds around the areas, including more native species like tui and kereru.
He said cameras would help them identify their successes and their failures.
Rotary Club spokesman Lionel Wilson said that as part of a weekend of connection among Rotary groups across the region earlier this year, 120 traps were made.
Those traps had been placed in backyards around the golf course and the park.
Mr Wilson said Predator Free Timaru members were ‘‘busy people’’ so when he saw an advertisement come up for Every Corner Project, which was run by Air New Zealand he was quick to apply.
The project aimed to give money to groups that were helping the environment.
The project had 640 applications for the $1.2 million of funding.
When they were selected as one of the 100 projects to be given funding, Mr Wilson said the club used the $10,343.10 to purchase six cameras and batteries.
Mr Exton said, ‘‘Lionel’s great, he’s got time and knowledge to do it, and do it successfully.
‘‘He has bolstered our work tenfold.’’
While Mr Exton was not a Rotary member he said ‘‘I threatened to join them’’.
