Sniffer dog on the job at Cape Farewell
Julie and Tahi – the extraordinary sniffer dog.
The HealthPost Nature Trust is delighted to confirm that there is no trace of mice at its fortified Cape Farewell eco sanctuary.
The expert nose of DOC conservation dog, Tahi, was used to sniff out any mice at the sanctuary this week. Along with the expertise of his handler Julie, they found no sign of the pesky rodents that pose a threat to geckos and skinks at the site. It also opens options for translocations of other native species to the site.
Tahi, a three-year-old golden English cocker spaniel and his handler Julie are based in Marlborough.
After an extensive trapping effort, the Trust has been checking for mice for the last six weeks inside a two-hectare mouse-proof stainless-steel fence completed in May. None have been sighted.
The area sniffed out by Tahi includes Pakahā/ Fluttering Shearwater and Diving Petrel/kuaka burrows which are currently being prospected by local birds, says the Trust’s Project Co-ordinator, Marian Milne.
Tahi and Julie at the Wharariki eco sanctuary. Loud speakers that project bird calls are on site to attract birds to the eco sanctuary.
Julie and Tahi on the job
“Every night we have visits from local Fluttering Shearwaters/Pakahā as well as Diving Petrel/kuaka. We are super excited to have recently found in the sanctuary’s burrows three Fluttering Shearwater/Pakahā and three Diving Petrel/Kuaka sitting on eggs.”
In January this year, the Trust translocated 92 Pakahā/Fluttering Shearwater chicks from the Marlborough Sounds to the Cape. All fledged and took flight in February. It was the third successful translocation. The Trust is hoping that some birds from the first translocations may return to breed at the sanctuary this year. In the meantime, local birds have moved in and made it their home to nest, Marian says.
“We are really pleased all the effort we have taken to secure the sanctuary are paying off,” says Marian.
Around 9000 community volunteer hours have gone into this, building fences, trapping, planting and continually monitoring the site. We couldn’t have done this without our army of volunteers,” says Trust Chair Peter Butler.
“We are very grateful to DOC for its ongoing support for our project and making Julie and Tahi available to us,” he says.
Background:
Tahi is a “passive indicating dog”. When he finds his target scent he lies down and looks at Julie Hill. Julie has extensive experience in identifying potential habitats and indications that a rodent is present in an area. They are based in Picton, covering mainly Te Tau Ihu – the top of the South Island and the lower North Island. There are around 120 dog handler teams in the Conservation Dogs Programme: Our work (doc.govt.nz).
For more information about the HealthPost Nature Trust go to: https://www.naturetrust.nz/
Debbie Hannan (communications volunteer)
Ph 021 871 685
