A sensor for detecting changes in fringe capacitance responsive to at least one of a target animal and a target pest by mutual capacitance sensing may include a plurality of conductors including an electrically conductive sensor conductor, which is a transmit electrode, and two electrically conductive un-grounded conductors, which are each a receive electrode, disposed on opposing sides of the sensor conductor defining a triplet. The plurality of conductors may be supported on an un-grounded conductive substrate which is electrically isolated, via an electrical insulator, from the plurality of conductors. Each conductor of the plurality of conductors may have a width and a thickness, and may be disposed spaced apart from the other conductors of the plurality of conductors and the un-grounded conductive substrate by a distance such that a directional fringe field responsive to the at least one of the target animal and the target pest is generatable.
