Rachel Mirk

My journey to becoming a small mammal paparazzo began when I was just four years old in Indonesia. I had the incredible opportunity to interact with rehabilitating orangutans, which sparked my passion for working with animals. My obsession has now shifted to Tasmania’s small mammals. During my time researching at the University of Tasmania, I was particularly captivated by a tiny carnivorous marsupial called Antechinus vandyckii. I spent the entire year trying to capture a photo of this elusive creature, which plays a crucial role in our ecosystem.

I used a special tool called a camera trap to capture pictures of these little critters. These cameras take pictures all by themselves when an animal walks past, without needing a scary person around pushing the trigger! I designed my own unique camera trap configuration with the goal of obtaining more, higher quality images of small mammals. I set up camera traps in remote forest areas, and you won’t believe how many images I looked at—thousands! Each snapshot helps me figure out which animal is which. I do this by looking at their unique features and quirky behaviours. It’s like watching a real-life wildlife reality show. There’s the series favourites (the natives) and the villains (invasives!) and sometimes I got lucky enough to see how they interacted with each other and their environment.

I’m truly passionate about helping people connect with our incredible native wildlife and understand the threats these little critters face. I love sharing my discoveries with students, showing them how cool technology—like camera traps—enables scientists to study animals without disturbing them.