Dog wages war on pests
Date: 05 November 2008
The Department of Conservation (DOC) in Auckland have a new four-legged tool in their battle to keep animal pests off islands in the Hauraki Gulf.
Fox, a ten month old Foxy, was in action this morning at Half Moon Bay, running his nose over six concrete trucks destined for Motuihe island. Fox has been specially trained over the past five months to detect rats and mice hidden in freight destined for the islands.
Fox with his handler, Ditch Keeling
Fox's handler, Ditch Keeling of DOC, said after 15 years of using mechanical devices to catch rodents, it seems natural to now be using an animal to catch other animals.
"These dogs have been bred over a thousand years for their ability to catch rodents. It just rings right to be using them for this type of work," he said.
"Fox is also teaching me a lot about rodent behaviour just by some of the areas where he is detecting scents. For the first five months I have been training him, but now I'd say he is training me."
Fox is one of only three dogs in New Zealand used for detecting pests such as rodents. An ongoing part of his job will be to do monthly checks of the islands that are free of pests in the Hauraki Gulf to ensure no rodents have arrived. He will also be an essential part of DOC's eradication of all the remaining animal pests off Rangitoto and Motutapu islands which is planned to begin in winter next year.
Many of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf are already free of pests, which makes them ideal sanctuaries for some of New Zealand's most threatened native wildlife, such as kiwi. Predators such as rats can have devastating effects on native birds, plants and insects.
DOC is asking that all visitors to these islands check their gear and boats for signs of rodents, weed seeds and insects before they leave the mainland.