There is irony in this story.
We’ve posted about purebred dogs that protect penguins, leopards, butterflies and whales, and we’re delighted to add another species to the mix: Kiwis. What makes this a little different from other conservation stories is that the creature that’s been tasked to protect the birds are also the major cause of its demise.
Kiwi don’t have a sternum, so their rib cage is very fragile. Dogs may not mean to kill the birds, but kiwi are extremely easily crushed by a dog just giving it a playful push. In New Zealand, the Department of Conservation is successfully using conservation dogs to help monitor kiwis, and a pair of German Shorthaired Pointers are a vital tool for the annual kiwi counts at the Waipoua Kiwi Sanctuary Area and Trounson Kauri Park Predator Control Area on the Kauri Coast.
New Zealand has also developed a “kiwi aversion training program” that teaches dogs to avoid kiwi when they’re out in the bush. A typical training course is set up in a patch of bush and focuses first on smell, then sight, movement, and finally sound.
We conclude with a tip of our hat to our New Zealand friends. New Zealand was the first country to use dogs to benefit conservation and kiwi conservation. Their dogs have a reputation for being among the best in the world and have been sent to Australia to help track feral cats and rodents and to Japan to find mongooses. Good on you, mates!
Image of Northland Fox Terrier, “Tui ” who was mother to DOC’s original predator dog program. She passed away on in December at the age of 17.