PREVIEW

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Woody the two-year-old red labrador has an unusual but very important job - helping free one of Northern Ireland’s most important wildlife hotspots of ferrets and rats.

The trained detection dog is now based on Rathlin Island as part of a groundbreaking initiative aimed at eliminating the non-native critters from the area so its seabirds can thrive.


Ferrets and rats pose a significant threat to the thousands of puffins and other seabirds that breed annually on Rathlin Island by preying on young birds and their eggs.

The lottery-funded LIFE Raft project aims to eradicate both species to protect the seabird populations for which Rathlin is famous.
Woody, who was introduced in May, is trained to detect their droppings, which will indicate their presence on the island. He took over from Jess, a detection dog who took a brief ‘sabbatical’ to help on the island.

The pair appear to have done such a good job that there have been no confirmed sightings of ferrets since the capture and destruction of 98 individuals. But the island cannot declare itself ferret-free until next year.

Michael Rafferty, LIFE Raft Fieldwork Manager, said: “We have all been so excited to welcome Woody to LIFE Raft. It’s been no easy feat attempting a world-first eradication, and we knew we needed the best dog for the job to get us over the finish line. Woody’s ludicrous energy levels, uncanny sniffing skills, and goofy grin ticked all our boxes.”

The ferrets were originally introduced in the 1980s by a farmer to control the rabbit population, but they quickly began breeding and turned their predatory instincts toward seabirds.
They can be so destructive that one rogue ferret caused the deaths of 27 puffins.

Now Woody has another pest in his sights - although this time the job is even bigger. With an estimated 10,000 rats on Rathlin, the eradication effort has been extensive.

This second invasive non-native species found their way to the island in the 1800s, and they, like the ferrets, have found ground-nesting birds to be easy prey. In September the LIFE Raft team began placing almost 7,000 bait stations across the island, kick-starting the final mammoth effort to make Rathlin truly safe for seabirds.

The ferret eradication is a global first, rat eradications have been successfully carried out in nearly 500 recorded cases, making the task challenging but achievable.

Local residents have also been able to keep chickens again since the ferrets have largely disappeared.

Michael Cecil, Chair of the RDCA, emphasises the project’s importance for both nature and community.

“This project isn’t just about protecting wildlife,” he adds. “Thousands of people travel to Rathlin every year to experience the sights and sounds of the amazing seabirds, so protecting the wildlife means protecting a whole way of life, as well as securing the livelihoods of many of the people who live here. This project has the potential to protect the future of this historic island.”

The £4.5 million LIFE Raft project is funded by the EU LIFE programme, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation, and Stormont's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).