Episode 8: Canine Conservationists

Episode Location

Queensland, Australia

Additional Resources

Educator Guide

Dogs are often thought of as humans’ best friends. But in Australia, they’re partnering with people to save other species from grave threats to the island continent’s unique fauna.

In Brisbane, dogs are sniffing out koala scat (and the animals who expel it) in habitats fragmented by wildfires and urbanization. Pinpointing the marsupials’ whereabouts allows researchers to map out the forest tracts that must be restored and reconnected to protect them. Farther north, on Queensland’s Woongara Coast, canines are tracking down—and taking out—invasive foxes that have devastated sea turtle nesting sites. Across the country, these canine conservationists are being employed to do everything from protecting little penguins from predators, to detecting rare platypuses, to aiding Tasmanian devil breeding efforts.

Questions about this episode

Why does the protection of sea turtles require the killing of invasive foxes?

Unlike in North America and Europe, where foxes are a native species that coexist in balance with other wildlife, foxes were introduced to Australia by European colonists for sport. The invasive predator has caused immense harm to native animals like sea turtles, ground-nesting birds, and marsupials that are not naturally equipped to defend themselves. Altogether, invasive foxes kill approximately 300 million native animals in Australia each year. This method of culling the fox population is fully supported by indigenous leaders who cherish sea turtles and other native creatures, and it has been endorsed by top Australian biologists and conservationists.