Dogs are Being Trained to Sniff Out Protected Wildlife

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Dogs are amazing creatures who serve as our faithful companions and more. They help guide the blind and comfort people who are traumatized. Dogs can perform a variety of essential tasks. The list of jobs they can do seems to keep growing. Germany’s Deutsche Bahn railway company willingly takes measures to help protect wildlife in areas marked for construction and development. CNN recently reported that the railway has turned to man’s best friend to do a more thorough job of identifying any animals living in the vicinity of proposed construction sites before the projects get underway. Scoping out the job sites is a job previously completed by staff members of the railway, but they’ve now employed investigators with a furry coat and a keen sense of smell to take their pre-construction scouting to the next level.

The problem with wildlife in construction zones

There are two main issues with wildlife living in areas slated for development. The health and welfare of the animals that call these areas home are at risk, and discovering wildlife can slow down the progress of building projects, costing the companies time and money. Officials were looking for more efficient ways to find animals native to the environment. The goal is to find them before the projects get underway to ensure that each critter is found. Animals are moved to a safer place to live out the rest of their lives.

The cost of wildlife finds

The railway realizes discovering animals living in construction zones is a costly problem to encounter. It can shut down an operation until the animals get moved to another locale. Shutdowns are expensive and can cost the builder more than first anticipated and budgeted for. It interferes with progress on a project. It’s a logical step to do everything you can to scan the area thoroughly before the commencement of work. It’s the best way to prevent interruptions in construction projects. Wildlife that is expert in eluding human eyes is more accurately located by the dogs’ keen sense of smell, offering a more efficient method of identification and relocation.

Trying something new

Deutsche Bahn is trying a new method for identifying wildlife living in construction areas. The country is home to several protected species of snakes, birds, and other animals. Humans rely on their knowledge and visual identification of signs of wildlife, however, we’re limited in our abilities. Highly trained sniffer dogs have an advantage over humans. They can detect the scent of a snake, rabbit, bird, or other creature that a human would not be able to find. The railway has undertaken the project of training various dog breeds for this highly specialized task, which involves identifying and reporting while causing no harm to the animals they find. The plan is to move ahead with sniffer dogs sometime in 2022.

German sniffer dogs gaining positive press

DW confirmed that Germany is relying on sniffer dogs for more than finding wildlife at construction sites. They show a great deal of promise for helping to identify disease and illness in humans. Dogs have an amazing sense of smell that researchers are getting excited about. The University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover scientists discovered that sniffer dogs can be trained to detect the presence of Covid-19 in humans. A study they published confirms that the dogs have a high accuracy rate. They can detect the virus through their sense of smell. We’re already seeing sniffer dogs use at public venues to point out individuals who likely have the virus, to enhance current public safety measures. This discovery has tremendous implications for setting up better screening processes at concerts and other large public gatherings. Classic FM confirms that dogs are already being used for this job. Remarkably, the accuracy level of the dogs has been as high as 90 percent in controlled studies.

Other uses for sniffer dogs

Sniffer dogs have been trained to locate bombs and other explosive devices for several years now. Skilled trainers work with various dog breeds to teach them to focus their attention on the detection of a specific scent. The dogs are taught how to respond when they identify the target odor, to sound the alarm. Sniffer dogs are also used by law enforcement and rescue organizations for high-stakes assignments. These dogs have helped officers sniff out hidden drugs and even currency. They’re giving law enforcement one more tool in their arsenal for busting crime by taking the investigation to new depths. A sniffer dog can find a person who is hiding, and point the way. A policeman may walk right past someone hiding in the bushes, but the sniffer dog will detect their scent and bust their cover. Sniffer dogs are used for the grim task of finding dead bodies. They’re called cadaver dogs, and these canines are trained to detect the scent of decomposing human flesh. They’re also useful in finding a living person. Dogs are frequently used by search and rescue teams to locate missing persons.

Conclusion

Dogs are amazing creatures. They provide us with love, affection, and companionship, but we’re learning that they’re capable of performing tasks that are beyond the scope of human ability. Dogs of various breeds are being trained to go on high-level investigations with humans as scent experts on teams. These dogs can now let you know if you have a certain kind of sickness, and they can also detect the presence of any explosives in the area. These versatile partners are assets in the home. They are also assets to law enforcement, search and rescue, and other agencies. We’re learning so much about the inherent value of dogs in our society. We’ve come to rely on them to perform jobs that people are not able to do. They may not possess the level of intelligence that humans do, but dogs can sniff out things that we cannot detect with our limited sense of smell.