We’ve Been Invaded
Search Dogs Help Sustain the Galapagos Islands
Photo by Rebecca Ross, Dogs for Conservation
We’ve been invaded. By goats, rats, snails, cats, parasites, chickens, pigs and more. This is the story of how search dogs have helped with one of these invasions: the African snail that, fortunately, has been limited to a small portion of Santa Cruz Island.
Once Galapagos was pure and unspoiled. And, our government and protective bodies such as the Galapagos National Park Service do everything possible to assure that our lands remain untainted and pristine so that Darwin’s legacy is assured. Galapagos still remains the most protected and environmentally conscious area in the world thanks to strict rules and regulations. But — for better or worse — we aren’t completely isolated.
From the earliest landings by pirates until today with the influx of tourists, invaders have managed to find their way to Galapagos by sea and air. Early on, pirate ships carried rats and other rodents and insects. Later, early settlers brought goats and pigs to help cultivate the land and provide a food source. Today, despite the fact that all planes and boats are decontaminated all the time, some critters find their way onto the land and marine reserves.
Because these species are not in sync with the ecosystem and natural environment, they create a problem. We are forever being threatened by species that are neither endemic nor natural to Galapagos. So, the Galapagos National Park and Marine Services, the Charles Darwin Research Center and myriads of other organizations and academic institutions are working hard to assure our environment remains stable and free from dangerous outside forces.
I love reporting to you about the wonderful conservation work being done throughout the Galapagos Islands to secure this beautiful paradise and keep it from harm. Rats have been conquered by human intervention, as have goats and feral cats. When it comes to insects that threaten certain plants, researchers take exceptional steps to find exactly the right antidote while safeguarding surrounding foliage. Some scientists and given penguins an assist in finding nesting materials and building nests. Others nurture baby mangrove finches until they are safe from invidious insect eggs that were threatening to make the entire species extinct. It seems that even the giant tortoises are helping with preservation by absorbing certain invasive plants into their diet and thus preventing them from spreading.
Recently an ingeneous plan was initiated to help with the invasion of African snails which are, so far, contained in a small portion of Santa Cruz Island. These snails are one of the leading threats to our unique and important wildlife and flora. Actually these disgusting snails (how else do you characterize a rat-sized creature that leaves a trail of slime in its wake?) are a problem not only in Galapagos but in other parts of the world, such as Florida. Florida reports having hundreds of thousands of these creatures, which are prodigious breeders and lay more than 1000 eggs at a time, with an incubation period of just 11 days. Both adults and offspring eat all different types of plants to devastating effect. So, finding and eliminating them is a high priority matter.
According to Johanna Barry, President of The Galapagos Conservancy, “Galapagos is the best preserved tropical archipelago in the world, thanks to the vigilance of government agencies responsible for its protection. Experience has shown that once an invasive species becomes established, it is almost impossible to remove. These snails pose an immediate threat to local agriculture as well as the survival of endemic Galapagos snail species.”
It’s hard to believe that a snail could do much harm, but this species wreaks havoc on native plants and animals, destroying crops, spreading parasites and threatening native ecosystems. In the Galapagos, if the species is allowed to spread outside of the 50 acres on Santa Cruz Island where it was first detected in 2010, it could have a serious impact on both farms and the delicate flora and fauna native to the islands.
But, dogs like Darwin and Neville, both adopted by Dogs for Conservation, pave the way to eradicate the snails. They have been trained specifically to sniff out the giant African snails and work with the Galapagos Biosecurity Agency and Island Conservation as well. For now, their work is restricted to the area of Santa Cruz Island which the snails are breeding, but ultimately they will be dispatched to airports and other points of embarkation to help keep this and other invasive species out of the Galapagos Islands.
Mother Nature Network has done an excellent job of explaining how dogs are used not only in Galapagos, but in other geographic locations for conservation purposes. MNN reports the following:
“Using dogs as assistants for conservation is a concept picking up steam around the world. They make the job of researchers and biologists far easier. And finding high-energy dogs from shelters is a perfect starting place. In 2012, we reported on Conservation Canines, another organization using the same strategy of adopting dogs whose energy and obsessive tendencies make them a poor match as family pets, but it’s what makes them ideal for work in the field. Their scent-detection abilities can dramatically cut down the amount of time researchers have to spend searching for scat or other signs of the species they’re studying.”
“In order to study a species, whether it be an endangered species or an invasive species, biologists need to be able to collect information. Unfortunately, it is often extremely difficult or even impossible to properly survey for specific species due to limitations in technology and/or human eyesight,” said Rebecca Ross, executive director of Dogs for Conservation. “There is a reason the U.S. military has spent so much money investing in their dogs, and that is because no one has found a tool or machine that can compete with a dog’s nose!”
“For the giant snails in the Galapagos, Darwin and Neville are making the job far easier for the Galapagos Biosecurity Agency. Staff used to have to search for the snails on rainy nights using headlamps, something that was difficult, time-consuming, and simply not a viable permanent solution. Instead, the agency enlisted the help of Dogs for Conservation, who worked with six agency staff members to learn canine behavior, handling skills, scent theory and other essentials to working with the two dogs.”
“Darwin and Neville can quickly go into an area, even high-risk areas, with minimal impact and maximum effectiveness at finding the snails.”
It seems that Dogs for Conservation, the Galapagos Biosecurity Agency and Island Conservation have found the perfect win-win situation with Neville and Darwin.
Harry Jiménez, Owner and General Manager
Galapagos Eco Friendly
Av. 12 de Febrero y Av. J Roldo
San Cristobal Island
Galapagos, Ecuador SCY
Reservations: 593 052 520 124
Email: info@galapagosecolodge.net
A version of this article was published previously at blog.galapagosecolodge.net.
