Australia’s last tiger is vanishing fast
As an apex predator and the largest marsupial predator remaining on the Australian mainland, the endangered Tiger Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) plays a vital role in the ecosystem. Population declines over the last fifty years, throughout
the species' range, are of great concern.
One of the problems with conserving the species is that Tiger Quolls are very elusive, creating challenges for gathering knowledge about how to best protect them.
We have one last chance to save the Tiger Quoll
The good news is that we can gather all the information we need to help target conservation efforts for Tiger Quolls from their scats (poos). Scats massively increase knowledge about where quolls still survive and also what they are eating. Not only
this, but scats can also be analysed for DNA, helping create a genetic picture of the population and helping scientists and land managers target conservation efforts most effectively.
However, finding the scats is the challenge and this where man’s best friend comes to the rescue.
Dogs saving an endangered species
The Otways Conservation Dogs is a very exciting program initiated by the Conservation Ecology Centre. It involves a team of community volunteers working with their own dogs (across a wide range of breeds), trained to work with minimal environmental
impact to detect scats of the endangered Tiger Quoll.
How you can help the Otways Conservation Dogs help Tiger Quolls
With your help these dogs and their handlers can make a real difference to the future of Tiger Quolls.
- $10 purchases treats, allowing dogs to be trained using positive reinforcement principles (doing the job = a treat!)
- $50 purchases a special light weight, high visibility harness, designed for a dog to work safely in the Australian bush.
- $150 helps train a dog to distinguish Tiger Quoll scats from other scats in the environment (such as fox or cat scats) and alert their handler to a find.
- $500 helps train a dog to work responsibly in the Australian bush on field surveys to detect Tiger Quoll scats.
- $700 helps conduct field surveys with a team of dogs and handlers.
- $1,000 helps scientists carry out DNA analysis of scat samples.
The videos are thanks to The Age who covered the Conservation Ecology Centre Tiger Quoll Conservation Program and then joined the Otways Conservation Dogs operational teams on their first delpoyment which was to the Grampians National Park in May 2014.
