Echo
NetDaily, 19 May 2020:
Springer
Spaniel with a nose for toads, Tommy, and handler Steve Austin, hard
at work in the Lower Clarence Floodplain. Photo Nigel Blake.
As
the reach of the cane toad marches ever farther south, the Clarence
Landcare Toad Busters have engaged an enthusiastic recruit on the
front line of the Toad Biosecurity Containment Zone.
Tommy
is an English Springer Spaniel trained to sniff out cane toads and
his work with trainer Steve Austin is helping to trial the
effectiveness of sniffer dogs in detecting new cane toad arrivals.
This
project is supported by North Coast Local Land Services, through
funding from the Australian Government’s Wildlife and Habitat
Bushfire Recovery Program.
Fig
Forest, Clarence Landcare’s Cane Toad project coordinator, says
that Shark Creek, in the lower Clarence, is just beyond the
biosecurity containment zone for toads.
‘Tommy
lets us know if any toads have hopped this far yet,’ Mr Forest.
‘Thankfully no toads were detected.
