In an outback gorge in Australia's north, an ecologist and a team of Indigenous rangers have been studying one of the country's most mysterious marsupials.
The scaly-tail possums in Wuggubun Gorge lived undetected until last year, due to their extremely timid nature and nocturnal behaviour.
Now modern technology has shed light on this protected species, which has become something of a mascot and inspiration to the Kija rangers who help research and protect them.
The possums, also known as Wyulda, hide during the day in caves and burrows and emerge at night to avoid predators.
That's when motion-sensor cameras take pictures of this strange species, helping scientists and traditional owners understand more about their life.
These images have allowed the possums to become part of the local Kija people's culture — a recent addition to an ancient understanding of the land and its species.
Sweaty work in beautiful scenery
The gorge is the main attraction at Wuggubun Indigenous community about 40 minutes drive from the East Kimberley hub of Kununurra, and unlike the vast majority of rainforest pockets embedded in the surrounding ranges, it can be accessed by road.
The orange spinifex-dotted cliffs change colour in the bouncing sunlight and at the floor, a clear creek winds through an oasis of palms.
During the wet season, it's sweaty work setting the motion-sensor cameras in just the right places.
When the ABC joined the rangers, they waded through armpit-high grass and scrambled up shaley inclines, careful not to send loose rocks tumbling into their team members.
Ranger Noel Daylight helped his counterparts ensure each camera was prepared to photograph the elusive possum.
"We take out the memory cards and replace them with new ones and on top of those rocks we put out some baits for the possums," he said.
"Usually we mix the bait with all kinds of fruit … apples, tuna and peanut butter.
"They live in caves and then come out at night to keep away from predators."
For some, the real excitement happens in front of a computer screen in an air-conditioned office.
Kija ranger Jedda Thomas trawls through photos of animals captured on the cameras, such as rock wallabies and goannas, as she looks for the possum's distinctive traits.
"It's the tail … scaly and all of that," she said.
"Going through books about scaly-tailed possums and learning about them… it looks kind of funny. It's interesting finding animals I don't know about."
Fire poses huge threat
While the gorge may feel like a safe hideaway for this timid species, the threat of bushfires arrives every year at the end of dry season.
In October, rangers and West Australian Government firefighters fought off a blaze which threatened the gorge and its inhabitants.
Noel Daylight said it was a close call and a reminder of the serious threat fires pose.
"Fire can destroy their vegetation, their home and the bush food that they eat," he said.
"We put a back burn around here to stop the fire from coming this way and we stopped it just in time from reaching the gorge."
Researcher wants to find out more about possums behaviour
Kimberley Land Council ecologist Marlee Hutton supports ranger groups throughout the region with threatened species research.
She said the discovery of the possums in not only Wuggubun Gorge but also others in the surrounding area was a strong sign that there could be healthy populations all through the wider network of deep impenetrable ranges.
She hopes to capture more photos and video evidence, to learn more about the possums' behaviour and attract funding to pave the way for long-term research.
"I'd love to identify the individual [possums] in the photos," the Bardi Jawi woman said.
"For example, if we find out there's only one male per gorge that could tell us, for example, how territorial they are.
"The males might find a gorge and spend their whole lives there."
She said the discovery of the possums in specific "rainforest pockets" also helped the Kija rangers prioritise their resources to protect the species from wildfires and pests such as feral cats.
Possum new addition to ancient culture
Traditionally there has been no Kija language name for the scaly-tailed possum, because the animal is almost impossible to spot without a night-vision camera.
But the shy species has now been thrust into the minds of traditional owners.
Mr Daylight said his "happiest moment" was when he showed elders photos of the possum.
"We uploaded the photos to the laptop and from there we started showing our old people back at our community," he said.
"The old people were happy to see the possum they hadn't seen before. We also show the pictures to the young people so they know what they are looking for when they get older."
