The Wildlife Drone gathers data from a transmitter weighing less than a kilogram that can track a range of species too small for satellite tracking or too wide-reaching for traditional on-foot methods.

The Canberra Times first reported the joint venture between the ANU and University of Sydney in August 2015, when Dr Debra Saunders from the Fenner School of Environment and Society tested the technology on bettongs at Mulligans Flat Woodlands Sanctuary.

Since then, wildlife researchers and conservation non-government organisations from around the world have flagged interest in using the light-weight technology to track a range of animals from rock-wallabies, elephants and orangutans to quolls, Tasmanian devils, numbats and kiwis.

The off-the-shelf drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle, has a custom-built miniature receiver and antenna that provide real-time information on radio-tracked wildlife, which are mapped live on a laptop.

Dr Saunders said the tracker could be used for small migratory birds such as the yellow-faced honeyeater or the swift parrot which move around too dynamically to catch and the tiny trackers that are currently available don't transmit.

"We don't know much about these species and by giving us an idea of how big an area they need, it helps us implement conservation measures at the right scale and I think that's critically important of the swift parrot," Dr Saunders said.

"It has been listed as critically endangered and now it's in a worse situation than we thought so we really need to get a handle on it and do it really quickly."

The drones can also be used for animals in rugged environments that are difficult, costly and time-consuming to reach such as rock wallabies, which are challenging to track without disturbing their behaviour.

The Wildlife Drone has come a long way since last August, and Dr Saunders has set herself a goal to have it on the market in 12 months' time.

"Since a year ago we've had a huge response from around the world from people wanting one, which is crazy because we [the team of researchers] just thought we'd use it for ourselves but the media went nuts," she said.

"Another type of customer we have recently realised is interested are people who need to understand animal movements in relation to pests."

ANU's Wildlife Drones team was the only ACT University team successful on entry into CSIRO's ON Prime program, which will arm them with the skills to enhance their technology out on the field and prepare it for the marketplace.

Dr Saunders said she would use the ON Prime support to ensure the working prototype was affordable, robust and user friendly.