Lincoln-based Landcare Research research leader Bruce Warburton said the cameras - mounted under lightweight R44 helicopters, flying at an altitude of 60m to 90m - which could be used for the detection of wallabies south of the Waitaki River, proved successful, despite the weather on the day of the pilot trial not co-operating.
On the day of the trial, fine weather warmed the south side of the river to the point the team conducting the trial lost "contrast with the animal on the background''.
However, Mr Warburton said in a 20 to 30-minute flight over the north bank of the river, which remained shaded, the camera picked up 50 to 60 animals in the June 28 test.
The group had found a shaded gully on the south bank of the river to conduct a brief test, but had not detected any wallabies.
"Given what we saw on the north side, if there had been any there, we would have detected them, because the [canopy] cover was even less on the south side,'' Mr Warburton said.
"Essentially, the technology worked really well.''
The majority of the introduced pest, Bennett's wallaby, remain in a "containment area'' in South Canterbury.
The Waitaki River forms the southern boundary but the animals are known to have breached that boundary since 2008.
A report co-authored by Mr Warburton this year warns that with wallaby control unchanged, the marsupials, which disrupt biodiversity and cause production losses for rural industries, could, in a worst-case scenario, cover one-third of the South Island.
The pilot study, jointly funded by both Environment Canterbury and the Otago Regional Council, was to test the suitability of the new technology for the purpose of detecting wallabies in an area where spotting wallabies from above with the naked eye had proved difficult.
The thermal imaging cameras, which could cost about $100,000 and use the heat given off by objects to produce an image, were paired with conventional high-resolution cameras for comparison.
Otago Regional Council director of environmental monitoring and operations Scott MacLean has said "the biggest threat'' for Otago was natural dispersion of the pest animals over the Hawkdun Range.
Areas with vast terrain and snow tussock coverage had proved a challenge in wallaby control.
Snow tussock is taller than wallabies which, unlike some animals, were not flushed from hiding when helicopters approached.
Mr MacLean said he was aware there were "some good results'' but he had not seen the footage from the flight and declined to comment until he had done so.
Environment Canterbury biosecurity team leader Brent Glentworth noted the pilot test was "only a pilot'', and referred comment to Mr Warburton.
