PREVIEW

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 from 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 so 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. Woody, who was introduced in May, is trained to detect their droppings, which will indicate their presence on the island. With no confirmed sightings of ferrets since the capture and destruction of 98 individuals, Woody is ready to move on to rats. 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.