Ian Mannix
Cosmos newsroom
A leading platypus research group is calling for a new way to train wildlife researchers to work on animal anaesthesia, without having undertaken a full veterinary degree.
Dr Gilad Bino from the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, and the Platypus Conservation Initiative at the University of New South Wales says the new approach focuses on developing specific skills relevant to platypus anaesthesia, “minimising the time and financial barriers associated with broader veterinary training programs.”
“Over the years, we’ve seen localised declines in platypus populations. Our data shows clear signs of strain. In many areas, habitat fragmentation, altered flow regimes, and drought are pushing many populations closer to the edge,” Bino told Cosmos.
“Our work is about ensuring that future generations of Australians can see platypuses in the wild—not just on a coin or a chocolate wrapper.”
“Fieldwork is exhausting and unpredictable – but every time I see a platypus glide back into the river, I’m reminded why I keep coming back.”
Bino has written a detailed report in “Australian Mammalogy,” the journal of the Australian Mammal Society, (CSIRO Publishing), on the way the Platypus Conservation Initiative team goes about anaesthetising the mammals.
“While there is a trend in clinical veterinary work towards the use of veterinary technicians with undergraduate degrees, we propose a more targeted, competency-based training model for wildlife researchers,” he writes in the journal.
“Accreditation could require researchers to complete, for example, at least 20 supervised anaesthetic procedures under the mentorship of wildlife veterinarians or experienced researchers, ensuring that trainees meet rigorous standards before being qualified to work independently.
“It is anticipated that establishing such accreditation pathways would streamline Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) approvals by providing clear and consistent criteria for non-veterinarian qualifications.”
The advantages of this accreditation model extend beyond platypus research, he says.
“Remote or cryptic species, including small mammals, amphibians, and aquatic taxa, often encounter similar logistical challenges in field research.”
Although programs such as Safe Capture International already offer training for a variety of species, Bino says his proposed pathway aims to address gaps for animals with unique physiological or ecological requirements that may not be fully covered by existing models.
Since 2015, his team has applied field-based anaesthesia in a range of environmental conditions to more than 500 platypuses.
“With this paper, we aim to formalise these refinements, advocate for structured accreditation pathways, and highlight the potential for trained non-veterinarians to safely and effectively administer anaesthesia, ensuring broader accessibility and consistency in field- based research.”
So, how do you put a platypus to sleep?
First you have to catch them.
“We use unweighted mesh nets or fyke nets, depending on the specific river and flow,” write Bino in the Journal.
“Once captured, platypuses are held in pillowcases in a cool, quiet, and dark place until they are ready for processing. We use towels, which are lightly wrapped around the platypus or are simply used to cushion the surface.
“Before administering general anaesthesia, a visual examination of the platypus’s general body condition is performed for any signs that might be a concern about the animal’s condition and could increase anaesthetic risk.
“Anaesthesia is administered using an anaesthetic machine equipped with a vaporiser connected to an oxygen tank.
“The animal is then removed and maintained under anaesthesia using a specialised T-piece face mask, which we fashioned from a 1L milk bottle, moulded and padded to fit the bill of the platypus using an elastic bandage.
Like humans, anaesthesia can bring on other complications, including heart issues and irritation of nasal pathways.
“But generally under anaesthesia, platypuses can be safely weighed, measured, and assessed for sex and age on the basis of spur morphology, without the risk of envenomation.”
Anaesthesia also enables the collection of samples and attachment of tracking devices with minimal stress and discomfort, including passive integrated transponder tag insertion, toe-web biopsies and prey material collected from the cheek pouch.
The platypuses are typically anaesthetised for approximately 30 minutes when only sample collection is involved, and approximately 40 min when radio transmitters are being externally attached.
For some studies, acoustic transmitters have been surgically implanted into the abdominal cavity where animals remain anaesthetised for about 1 hour.
Following the procedures, animals are monitored until regaining consciousness, then left to recover in a quiet, dark chamber for at least 30 min, ensuring they regain full consciousness before release.
Bino says the process is designed to minimise stress and reduce the likelihood of adverse effects, with recovery times “generally being swift.”
“Field-based anaesthesia helps us reduce stress during handling. Across hundreds of captures, every platypus has been safely returned to the wild.”
The preposterous platypus
