Minnesota conservation officer Annette Schlag came up with a masterful way to outwit the overwhelming zebra mussel population with the help of 1.5-year-old Trapper, a skillful yellow Labrador retriever.
Trained for three months by Schlag, the dog sniffs out zebra mussels when prompted with the word "seek," helping conservationists remove the aquatic animals from the ecosystems they have invaded.
Zebra mussels, native to the Caspian and Black seas, have been invading freshwater bodies in the United States via boats.
According to the National Park Service, the invasive species "firmly" attach themselves to rocks, docks, boats, and native mussels.
Zebra mussels have caused an ecological imbalance in Minnesota rivers and lakes for years. Their presence in aquatic bodies where they are not native has an impact on plant growth and fish populations, according to KAAL.
Conservationists cannot work alone to remove all zebra mussels and other invasive critters from our lands. Community members across the United States are encouraged to stop the spread of the black-and-white-striped invader by scraping it off surfaces if populations are located.
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Zebra mussels, which individually can filter 1 quart of water per day, rid marine bodies of food particles integral to the survival of fish in their native habitats, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Not only this, but the DNR reports the critters damage and clog water intake, wreaking economic havoc on power plants, cities, and residents.
Trapper has already been working hard for two months to locate zebra mussels in hard-to-detect areas, though he is not being overworked. Schlag describes the hunt as a hobby for the dog, who thoroughly enjoys the search.
She said: "It's a big game to him, you know; it's basically what you or I, what we [do] for our hobbies for fun, this is what he does for fun, is that he finds stuff."
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