Cameras have been installed across the North East to detect endangered long-footed potoroos, a rare species threatened by last summer's bushfires.
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Cameras have been installed by DELWP and Taungurung Land and Waters Corporation and will monitor activity for 21 days.
The program aims to examine the impact the widespread bushfires had on the animals, so steps can be taken to ensure their survival in the future.
DEWLP Hume natural environment programs officer Elizabeth Wemyss said the marsupials were only found in the North East and Gippsland.
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The decline in their population can be attributed to bushfires, climate change and predation by foxes, wild dogs and feral cats.
"We've installed cameras out in the bush at sites near Dandongadale, Abbeyard, Mount Howitt and Harrietville to determine the species' ability to survive the widespread and intense bushfires," she said.
"To entice the endangered marsupial, bait stations filled with a mixture of peanut butter, golden syrup, oats and truffle oil have been placed near the cameras.
"The cameras use heat-sensing technology that trigger an infra-red 'flash' when movement is detected around the bait station - capturing images of the rarely seen species.
The project forms part of the Victorian Government's Bushfire Biodiversity Response and Recovery program.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
