Officials in British Columbia, Canada, campaigning against a destructive invasive species have unveiled their secret weapon: a very good boy.
Zebra mussels are native to Russia and Ukraine but have spread throughout Europe and North America. Like other invasive species, they destroy ecosystems by outcompeting native fauna for resources and reproducing in vast numbers.
As the National Park Service noted, a large population can rapidly clear a body of water of its floating particles, damaging the food web.
Zebra mussels spread into new areas by hitching rides on boats they attach themselves to. Because of robust preventative measures in place, they haven't yet spread to British Columbia.
As the Agassiz-Harrison Observer reported, boat owners must clean off all plants, animals, and mud, drain all water, and dry their vessels before returning to the sea. But it's too easy for the naked human eye to miss a zebra mussel attached to a boat. That's where the dogs come in.
Specially trained sniffer dogs can easily detect the tiny pests. The May 6 demonstration showed a German shepherd named Major finding a hidden mussel on a boat at Cultus Lake.
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The discovery was especially valuable since quagga and zebra mussels are hardy critters. As a local official told the Observer, mussels "can survive out of water for potentially up to 30 days."
Using dogs in conservation efforts is a natural fit; helping humans comes naturally to our canine friends. Another example can be found in South Africa, where a clever border collie named Jessie sniffed out a species experts thought had disappeared 80 years ago.
Dogs and local community action are a powerful combination in the fight against invasive species. In Ontario, locals came together to remove a million invasive snails from the waterways.
With 225 million scent receptors (humans have only 6 million), German shepherds have one of the strongest noses among dogs. This, combined with their high intelligence, is why they're commonly used by law enforcement.
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Absolutely 💯 As a comment on a social media post about the story said, "They picked the right breed for the job."
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