Community
1 March, 2023
It’s paws up for loyal dog after years of searching
EDEN, one of the longest serving members of the National Electric Ant Eradication Program’s odour detection dog team, has retired after eight and a half years of dedicated service.
A program spokesman said Eden was now 10 and had “certainly earned her rest and relaxation time”.
“The program has benefited significantly from developing and utilising odour detection dogs as an integral tool in its fight to achieve eradication, due to their high level of sensitivity and reliability,” he said.
“During her working career, Eden has been a valued and important member of the team, covering an enormous number of hectares of surveillance and identified countless colonies in a variety of locations, often working in difficult habitat in harsh tropical conditions.
“While we will miss Eden dearly, it is great news that she is staying in the family, spending her retirement on the property of one of the team members, where she will enjoy family life with lots of love, cuddles and fun walks.”
In the meantime, officers from the program have finished delivering educational workshops to local ranger groups over the second half of 2022.
“Groups from Yarrabah, Kuranda, Innisfail, Cardwell, Mossman and Cairns have learnt about the common behaviour and biology of invasive ants, their habitats, impacts, and gaining identification knowledge,” he said.
“The particular focus was on electric ants and yellow crazy ants, both of which are found in the greater Cairns area.
“Each session was then followed by practical hands-on training in field surveillance methods and sample collection.
“Held in collaboration with the Wet Tropics Management Authority’s Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program, these workshops are a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge between the programs and traditional owners with the common goal of protecting FNQ’s unique environment. The groups all now have the skills and knowledge to conduct their own invasive ant surveillance in their own culturally important areas within their lands.”
