In the middle of the blazing bushfires in New South Wales, another furry hero has emerged. Taylor, a four-year-old English springer spaniel from Port Macquarie, works as a conservation detection dog. Together with his trainer, Ryan Tate, they assisted in the search for koalas in need of rescue.
Taylor began his conservation detection dog training at the age of eight weeks. Ryan claimed he taught Taylor by rewarding her with sweets and tennis balls whenever she smelled koala feces or fur. She learned to appreciate sniffing the environment and to recognize the distinct odor of koalas.
The dog became an expert after a lot of practice. She isn’t only an expert at finding koalas, though. Taylor was also taught how to detect other animals like foxes, quolls, rabbits, cats, and rats using his nose. She’s a dog with a keen nose and has a wide range of abilities.
Springer spaniels are bred to be hunters’ companions, but Taylor was instead taught to work with conservation objectives. Ryan stated Taylor helps him find koalas by following the freshest scats on their trips together. They’ll then contact the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital’s trained koala spotters.
Ryan and Taylor have been on standby since the fires started destroying New South Wales. They’ve gone in four times to assist, and eight koalas have been found. Taylor, along with other conservation dogs, rescued koalas and other creatures from the fires.
Sue Ashton, president of the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, is grateful for Taylor and Ryan’s services and contributions to the search-and-rescue program. Sue said they never dreamed they’d be utilizing Taylor in the fires, but it’s all working out beautifully.
Taylor is a valuable member of the squad since she is quick, diligent, and capable of covering a larger area. The squad has gone in and out of fire areas.
Over 30 injured koalas have been treated at the Koala Hospital in recent months.
Source: TODAY