Woody the detection dog, a two-year-old Fox Red Labrador, is capturing attention on Rathlin Island, located off the coast of Northern Ireland. As part of a groundbreaking project, Woody’s keen sense of smell is being utilized to help eradicate invasive ferrets and rats that threaten local seabird populations, particularly puffins.
Woody is not just any dog; he wears special goggles to protect his eyes from brambles while he works tirelessly to identify animal droppings. His handler, Ulf Keller, describes him as a “big goof” with an incredible focus when on the job. “When he works, he’s really concentrated, but off duty, he’s just a bundle of energy,” Ulf explained. He emphasized that Woody is treated like any other staff member, complete with personal protective equipment and breaks after a day’s work detecting scat.
After the successful removal of 98 ferrets from Rathlin, there has been no confirmed sightings of the species for months. However, the island won’t declare itself ferret-free until next year. These ferrets were originally introduced in the 1980s for rabbit control but soon began preying on seabirds, leading to a dramatic decline in puffin numbers.
Liam McFaul, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) warden on Rathlin Island, has witnessed the devastation that ferrets can cause firsthand. He recalled a chilling encounter where one ferret led to the deaths of 27 puffins. “Just imagine what a hundred ferrets could do,” he said, advocating for the swift removal of these predators to help seabird recovery.
The battle against rats, which are estimated to number around 10,000 on Rathlin, has proven to be a significant undertaking, far larger than the efforts against the ferrets. Operations Manager for the LIFE Raft project, Michael Rafferty, mentioned the deployment of about 7,000 bait stations across the island, emphasizing the scale and complexity of the task. “This is ten-fold to what we had with the ferrets. While rat eradication has occurred in many places, this is no small feat,” he stated.
Local resident Marianne Green expressed her optimism about the changes. With the eradication efforts already allowing islanders to keep chickens, she mentioned, “No one wants rats, and with the ferrets gone, we hope to see a positive impact on local wildlife.” Marianne addressed concerns about the eradication process, explaining, “Here, we are like a refuge for ground-nesting birds. Rathlin is special to us, and we understand that by removing these invasive pressures, we’ll give our local birds a chance to thrive again.”
This ambitious £4.5 million LIFE Raft project, supported by various organizations including the EU LIFE and National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to restore Rathlin’s unique wildlife and protect the beloved puffins and other seabirds that call the island home.
