"Rats once cowered at the sight of Sebbi's floppy ears billowing in the wind. For eight years the springer spaniel patrolled the picturesque beaches of Lord Howe Island, up volcanic peaks and down rugged trails, playing a crucial role in the island's monumental conservation efforts. Now Sebbi has traded island life for suburban leisure after his long career as a detection dog."
"Sebbi was one of the idyllic holiday destination's original biosecurity dogs, so his retirement marks the end of an era for the canine team credited with a globally significant conservation milestone: helping the island to be declared rodent-free in 2023. Located more than 700km north-east of Sydney, the world heritage site is a biodiversity hotspot, home to more than 200 endemic species including the critically endangered Lord Howe Island stick insect."
"The unique flora and fauna evolved in isolation but were devastated by the arrival of rodents via ships in the 19th and early 20th centuries, leading to the extinction of at least five native bird species, 13 invertebrates and two plants. Solomon says the detection dogs have been central to eradication efforts, which began in the 1970s with the removal of other invasive species cats, pigs and goats."
Sebbi, a springer spaniel, patrolled Lord Howe Island for eight years as a biosecurity detection dog and has now retired to suburban life. Sebbi was valued for leadership skills and for mentoring younger detection dogs. Sebbi was among the island's original biosecurity dogs and helped the island achieve a rodent-free declaration in 2023. Lord Howe Island lies more than 700km north-east of Sydney and hosts over 200 endemic species, including the critically endangered Lord Howe Island stick insect. Rodents arriving in the 19th and early 20th centuries caused multiple extinctions. Eradication efforts began in the 1970s; detection dogs arrived in 2017 and monitoring shows strong recovery of native species and habitat regeneration.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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