Happy 'special dog' specializes in hunting ... ants

Images of dogs seeking criminals, mines or drugs are quite familiar to everyone. But have you ever heard of dogs trained to find . ants?

Tobias is a special dog whose mission is to sniff out . ants. It sounds strange, but it's completely real.

"Guys" that Tobias must find is Argentine ant species - "the invading name" in many areas of the world like South Africa, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Italy or America .

The scary "invasion"

An Argentine ant - (Photo: Sarah Gregg).

Santa Cruz is the largest island in the Strait Islands 40km south of California, USA. The ecosystem is extremely diverse with more than 1,000 types of flora and fauna but is threatened by Argentine ants , including the white-headed eagles and typical island fauna.

"Invaders" have chased pollinated bees, native ants, harmed spiders and other insects especially important to the island's ecosystem.

In 1978, the US Natural Protection Commission bought most of the island to conduct research and to take measures to deal with Argentinian ants, but for a long time there was no alternative. exam.

Later, Christna Boser, the Commission's ecologist, proposed an aerial campaign, which would spread from a helicopter a very small liquid with sweetness added with a dilute poison to kill Argentine ants.

The campaign was strongest in the period 2015-2016. Scientists reported that this ant species was completely destroyed. There are still doubts, however, because all previous efforts will be smogged if there is an ant colony alive.

"Hero" appeared

Kyren Zimmerman and Tobias are looking at Santa Cruz Island, USA - (Photo by Gary Andrew).

And that's when Tobias is assigned. Once he smells the smell of pheromone left from a certain ant, Tobias will sit down and inform the dog guide in a manner like a child asking for gifts. This person will check whether this is an ant species of Argentina.

In the past March, Tobias and Kyren Zimmerman - a volunteer dog guide for Environmental Protection Dogs (based in Montana, USA) have undergone several weeks of training to understand Argentine ants. . They are then transferred to the island to begin the mission.

Scouring to the end of the summer, climbing mountains and ice, the couple has yet to find a new Argentine ant colony on the island. This is a good sign that the ant elimination campaign really works.

Later, Tobias was transferred to nearby San Clemente Island. Thanks to it, many Argentinian ant colonies have been discovered and destroyed, contributing to stabilizing the ecosystem in the area.

In addition, Tobias also helps tourists on the island feel free to carpet on the beach watching the sunset on the island without having to worry about Argentine ants.

"Tobias has a lot of gifts every day for his achievements," said Zimmerman.

More "warriors"

Santa Cruz Island with diverse ecosystems has been threatened by Argentinian ants - (Photo: Gary Andrew).

Dogs have long been known for their ability to sniff, and are often used to search for drugs and mines . By the 1990s, more and more scientists trained dogs to support nature conservation. .

However, Boser believes that there is no other dog in the world trained as Tobias to detect Argentine ants in the natural environment.

"The most important thing is that dog fighters must love the work they are doing. At that time it only needs guidance," said Deborah Woollett, co-creator of the Environmental Protection Dog organization.

Scientists think that using Tobias to test the remaining ant colonies is a simple, economical and effective way.

At the same time, Boser and Woollett are also researching new training methods for dogs to acquire this skill. They believe that dogs like Tobias will be increasingly sought after.