{"id":30053,"date":"2023-07-10T17:52:46","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T15:52:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=78273"},"modified":"2023-07-10T18:35:55","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10T16:35:55","slug":"dogs-have-been-herding-sheep-and-sniffing-out-drugs-for-years-now-theyre-saving-wildlife-too","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/dogs-have-been-herding-sheep-and-sniffing-out-drugs-for-years-now-theyre-saving-wildlife-too\/","title":{"rendered":"Dogs have been herding sheep and sniffing out drugs for years. Now they\u2019re saving wildlife too"},"content":{"rendered":"

Conservationists and scientists have realised that the dog\u2019s extraordinary sense of smell could be unleashed to detect just about anything <\/p>

By Isabelle Groc\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 10 July 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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As wolves have transformed into dogs, they\u2019ve integrated into humans\u2019 lives in more ways than any other animal. Dogs have been herding, hunting and guarding alongside people for thousands of years, and have been long valued for their abilities to find drugs and explosives, or locate missing persons.<\/p>\n

Dogs are increasingly helping with conservation projects around the world <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>

More recently, with growing pressures on the environment and many species on the brink of extinction, dogs are increasingly helping with conservation projects around the world. From oceans to deserts, forests to wetlands, dogs can find rare, elusive or tiny species in vast landscapes, help enforce environmental laws, assist in controlling invasive species and much more.<\/p>\n

Some of the dogs that take on jobs in conservation start out as unwanted pets. Highly energetic and toy-obsessed, they\u2019re often too much for their owners to handle. They end up in animal shelters where they have little hope of being adopted until they cross the path of conservation organisations that are looking for these specific traits \u2013 traits that will be perfect for working on wildlife conservation projects in rugged conditions. The canines find a new purpose, helping the species running out of options.<\/p>\n

Here are 10 ways dogs are working to save wildlife\u2026<\/h2>\n

1. Tackling wildlife trafficking, Washington State, USA<\/h3>\n
\""Benny\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Benny and his handler Lauren Wendt search containers stored in a Seattle port. \u00a9 Isabelle Groc<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Home to two of the busiest ports in the USA and a major international airport, Washington State is a target for the shipment of illegal wildlife products. In May 2017, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police recruited Benny, a black Labrador retriever, to help search for items such as rhino<\/a> horns, shark fins<\/a> and elephant<\/a> ivory, which are illegally transported to the state via air and sea freight, or simply by mail.<\/p>\n

\""Benny\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Benny\u2019s finds: ivory, shark fins and firearms. \u00a9 Isabelle Groc<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

It\u2019s time-consuming for humans to inspect shipments by hand in an attempt to determine the contents of the packages being transported. But for a master sniffer like Benny, it\u2019s easy. He can search a large area or many items a lot faster than a human could, and do it with a higher degree of accuracy. When he hits on a target, he\u2019s immediately rewarded with a game of fetch with his favourite orange ball.<\/p>\n

Around the world, sniffer canines like Benny help fight the trade in endangered wildlife. Dogs have become an important weapon in the fight against elephant and rhino poaching in Africa, where they work to identify both animals and criminals, getting the scent of poachers from crime scenes.<\/p>\n

2. Sniffing out poison, Tagus Natural Park, Portugal<\/h3>\n
\""Portugal\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Just the presence of a detection dog such as Pico help deter would-be poisoners. \u00a9 Isabelle Groc<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Though the use of poison to kill wildlife is forbidden in Europe, toxic substances are still available to purchase, and illegal poisoning continues, especially as wolves and bears return in increasing numbers. In 2003, Portugal recorded its worst incident of wildlife poisoning, in which 33 griffon vultures, three cinereous vultures and three royal kites died after feeding on a poisoned sheep carcass that was being used to control feral dogs.<\/p>\n

\""Portugal\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Poisoned carcasses are especially dangerous for carrion feeders. \u00a9 Isabelle Groc<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Detection canines were called out to help in the fight against illegal wildlife poisoning. The Portuguese National Republican Guard now employs nine dogs in different regions of the country, which are trained to detect poisoned bait in the field. Pico and Chico, both German shepherds, are two of these dogs, and spend most of their time looking for poison in Central Portugal\u2019s International Tagus Natural Park, a biodiversity hotspot and refuge for many threatened species, including the Iberian imperial eagle.<\/p>\n

Protected by a muzzle, the canines sniff out carcasses that provide the police with the evidence they need to track down the perpetrators. Under the canines\u2019 watch, the park has become poison-free. \u201cPeople talk in caf\u00e9s, hunters talk among themselves, because they see the dogs. People know the police have the tools to look for poison, so they change the way they do things,\u201d says biologist Samuel Infante.<\/p>\n

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