CONSERVATION DOGS

Dogs have been herding sheep and finding drugs for years. Now they're saving wildlife too.

- ISABELLE GROC

As wolves have transformed into dogs, they’ve integrated into humans’ lives in more ways than any other animal. Dogs have been herding, hunting and guarding alongside people for thousands of years, and have been long valued for their abilities to find drugs and explosives, or locate missing persons.

More recently, with growing pressures on the environment and many species on the brink of extinction, dogs are increasingly helping with conservation projects around the world. Conservationists and scientists have realised that the dog’s extraordinary sense of smell could be unleashed to detect just about anything. From oceans to deserts, forests to wetlands, they can find rare, elusive or tiny species in vast landscapes, help enforce environmental laws, assist in controlling invasive species and much more.

Some of the dogs that take on jobs in conservation start out as unwanted pets. Highly energetic and toy-obsessed, they're often too much for their owners to handle. They end up in animal shelters where they have little hope of being adopted until they cross the path of conservation organisations that are looking for these specific traits - traits that will be perfect for working on wildlife conservation projects in rugged conditions. The canines find a new purpose, helping the species running out of options. Here are nine ways dogs are working to save wildlife...

Tackling wildlife trafficking

Washington State, USA

Benny the black Labrador sniffs out shark fins