Detective dogs close in on Coffs precious animals

Coffs Harbour’s emerging conservationists have been amazed by dogs which have a scent so keen they can locate threatened wildlife - as well as pests. Watch the detective dogs suss out a single rat in thick bush.

Dogs are ordinarily the foe of native animals - but a team of highly specialist hounds is pouncing into action to help Coffs Harbour TAFE students better understand the precious critters in the area.

Biosecurity detection dogs can sniff out threatened species, as well as unwanted invasive pests, like the rats which established a devastating population on Lord Howe Island before a successful baiting program drove them into oblivion.

The conservation detection dogs - three springer spaniels and a border collie - are deployed in the field by an organisation known as Canines For Wildlife.

And now they are making their mark in Coffs Harbour, much to the delight of local TAFE students studying a Certificate III in Conservation Ecosystem Management.

According to the Office for Environment and Heritage, there are 228 endangered and vulnerable species of flora and fauna found on the Coffs Coast.

TAFE students like Joseph Mackinnon had their first taste of working with the crack canines last month, and will team up again shortly to track koala scats (poo) around the South Coffs education campus.

A childhood spent outdoors, camping, fishing, hiking and growing up on the Coffs Coast looking at rock pools is all part of what inspired Mr Mackinnon to pursue a career in conservation.

“Dogs are remarkably good at detecting all sorts of odours and their ability to identify endangered wildlife is highly skilled,” he said.

“This TAFE NSW training has forced me to think outside of the box in terms of conservation - dogs play a very important role in identifying things that humans would easily miss.”

The Coffs study comes at a time when the Australian Koala Foundation is turning up the heat on new federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to save the iconic Aussie.

As well as detecting endangered wildlife - even turtles - the Canines For Wildlife team can hunt down unwanted pests such as canetoads.

“The koala and thousands of other species that live in those forests need the Koala Protection Act (KPA) – it’s already drafted and only requires the minister’s signature,” foundation chair Deborah Tabart said.

“This single piece of revolutionary legislation will protect koalas and koala habitat by guaranteeing that development and new infrastructure is designed to ensure a benign impact on their habitat.”

Ms Tabart said protecting koala populations made economic sense as the furry critters are a tourism drawcard - a point which has fuelled a long but so far unsuccessful push for the Great Koala national park on the Coffs Coast.

“I would encourage the tourism minister to sit down with the resource minister and do the numbers. Forestry is a dying industry and tourism a completely sustainable industry and income for Australia,” she said.

While politicians of all hue have battled to balance competing needs in developing koala protection policy, the expert detection dogs are just getting on with business at Coffs Harbour.

As well as detecting endangered wildlife - even turtles - the Canines For Wildlife team can hunt down unwanted pests such as canetoads which are slowly on the hop from Queensland into NSW.

And their work has found favour with local TAFE teacher Karla Gillies.

“This industry-led training opened the students’ eyes,” Ms Gillies said.