Shaka, a Hungarian Vizsla x German short-haired pointer, is set to become the region’s first Certified Possum Detection Dog. Photo / NRC
Shaka, a Hungarian Vizsla x German short-haired pointer, is set to become the region’s first Certified Possum Detection Dog. Photo / NRC
A specially trained, fit-for-purpose and friendly canine is set to make history as Northland Regional Council’s first Certified Possum Detection Dog, stepping up efforts to create a predator-free Northland and Far North.
Shaka – an almost-2-year-old Hungarian Vizsla x German short-haired pointer – has been undergoing the Department of Conservation’s (DoC) Conservation Dogs Programme since he was 4 months old and is now on track to becoming a fully certified pest detection dog specialising in possums, something that not just any dog can do.
Northland Regional Council (NRC) spokesman Matt Johnson says it has landscape possum eradication projects stretching to the Mid and Far North.
“Predator Free Pēwhairangi Whānui, a collective effort between Pest Free Purerua, Te Ahutai, Predator Free Russell, Predator Free Rākaumangamanga, all are working towards possum eradication in their respective peninsulas. Russell and Purerua also focus heavily on other species such as rats for Russell.”
If successful in gaining full certification, Shaka and his handler-trainer Gaelyn Dewhurst will become the council’s first certified dog handler team, Shaka being one of only a handful of Certified Possum Detection Dogs (CPDD) in the country.
Dewhurst says the lead-up to interim certification (likened to a provisional driver’s licence) had been focused on obedience training and understanding Shaka’s motivation to work, with a key focus on whether he had shown an interest in birds, including kiwi.
There are various efforts across Northland and Far North dedicated to eradicating possums. Photo / NZME
With the interim certificate now under their belt, Dewhurst says the goal is to get out into selected areas around Whangārei Heads and to strengthen Shaka’s scent training to master possum detection.
“Shaka is bred to use his nose and is already showing he knows what he’s doing, so his training moving forward will be to refine that, and for me to learn to read him and work on shaping his natural indication and pointing behaviour.”
“In order for Shaka to gain the full certification, I’ll have to show he can follow my commands and his ability to pick up possum scent without getting distracted by other scents.”
Given Northland’s high kiwi population, Dewhurst says choosing the right breed of dog has been a critical and carefully considered process, guided by discussions between NRC and a local Dog Advisory Group (DAG).
She says because Shaka’s breed is non-aggressive, he will stop, point or “indicate” with his head towards the direction of a possum, as opposed to actively hunting it down. This made Shaka the right type of dog for the role.
“Where uncontrolled, domestic dogs pose a risk to ground-dwelling wildlife such as kiwi, correctly trained and professionally handled dogs like Shaka can be a highly valuable and specialised conservation asset,” Dewhurst said.
“As part of Shaka’s certification standards, he will be required to wear a muzzle and conservation vest when out working in the field.”
In terms of the elimination process, when a possum scent is found, Dewhurst will drop a dog symbol on a GPS field map, rating the indication as either low, medium or high.
Shaka indicating a possum up a tree, for example, would be considered high, and depending on the location, either the field team or Dewhurst would leave a trap to capture the possum.
The introduction of Shaka as a possum eradication tool comes after three years of planning and discussion with community groups as part of the Predator Free Whangārei Possum Elimination Project.
The project aims to remove possums from more than 9000ha across the Whangārei Heads peninsula, with the use of a CPDD set to become increasingly important when building possum “proof of absence” and responding quickly to incursions.
Apart from eradicating possums, the project supports decades of conservation efforts from locals to bolster the Kiwi population.
Regional councillor Jack Craw, who chairs the council’s biosecurity and biodiversity working party, says eliminating that many possums would be no easy feat, but having a tool like Shaka would be hugely advantageous for Northland, with many areas carrying out possum elimination projects.
“We acknowledge the community has worked very hard with kiwi recovery in the Whangārei Heads, so Shaka has been selected and is being trained to be able to work in this sensitive environment.”
“The elimination project works with the various conservation groups in the Whangārei Heads and has an overwhelming amount of support from landowners.
“Having a CPDD has become an in-demand resource, so building the internal capacity for NRC will be cost and time-efficient for both the project and the region.”
The use of conservation pest detection dogs in biosecurity and biodiversity has proved to be a highly useful tool in supporting conservation outcomes, with each dog specialising in a target species.
“Using detector dogs is extremely cost-effective at low pest densities, saving both money and staff time.”
New Zealand was the first country in the world to use dogs in conservation, with Richard Henry pioneering this work in the 1890s.
In the 1990s, Northlander Scott Theobald started using dogs to help detect stoat activity in Trounson Kauri Park, which was the first time a conservation dog was used to search for pest species.
To stay up to date and learn more, follow the Predator Free Whangārei on Facebook or visit their website, predatorfreewhangarei.nz
