THE AUSTRALIAN (Sydney, Australia) 31 July 06 Dingoes develop nose for cane toads (Tony Barrass)
The much-maligned dingo has given researchers new hope in their battle to stop the spread of the insidious cane toad.
Several trained, domesticated dingoes will head into the vast expanses on the Western Australia-Northern Territory border in September in a trial to help environmentalists track the toad on its westward march.
Sarah Fyffe, 23, a Victorian dog trainer living in Perth, has convinced the Department of Conservation and Land Management that her dingoes could be the answer to stopping the toad's march.
"Dingoes have an unbelievable sense of smell and with the right training, they have proved that they can sniff out anything, anywhere," Ms Fyffe said.
"These animals are built to work, but you must be able to get through to them. I've trained labradors and shepherds, but dingoes are more like horses. You can't put a horse in a float if it doesn't want to - it's the same with dingoes."
To prove to authorities that her animals had an extraordinary sense of smell, she trained them to sniff out gunpowder. The results were so impressive they helped her get the blessing of CALM, which is co-ordinating efforts to keep the toad at bay.
Ms Fyffe spends what little spare money she has buying frozen cane toads from Queensland for $4 a toad in a pack of 20. Alive when frozen, the pests still have their natural odour when they thaw but only for about 45 minutes. This is enough time for the dingoes to get a whiff of their target.
Ms Fyffe said the dead toads were buried, flung and hidden over a large area. The dingoes have proved that they can easily find a carcass, but will not touch its toxic skin. Not unlike sniffer dogs at airports, the dingoes have been trained to sit as soon as they find their quarry.
"In training, we often cover a 5km area non-stop and my youngest, Buffy, can concentrate for a good 30 minutes at a time. That's pretty good for a 10-week-old pup," she said.
Ms Fyffe believes the dingo did not deserve the infamy associated with the Australian dog.
"Maybe they can salvage a bit of their reputation when they head up north," she said.
Dingoes develop nose for cane toads