Rhode Island’s turtle conservation efforts are being assisted by a four-legged companion, according to the Roger Williams Park Zoo. The Providence, Rhode Island, the zoo said that a one-year-old fox red Labrador retriever named Newt is utilizing “his wonderful snout to help check on some of our local turtle populations.”
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), in collaboration with the University of Rhode Island, the Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Rhode Island Natural History Survey, and other organizations, is in charge of the conservation effort.
According to Julia Sirois, Newt’s handler, “He was initially trained to detect different species of toad, so we got started on the turtles in the fall.” He had a difficult time with it at first, but we are now really proud of him since, as spring arrived and they started moving again, he was able to take it up quickly.
The zoo informed PEOPLE that in addition to Sirois, Hannah Duphy and Dr. Kris Hoffman also worked with the Canine College Training at St. Lawrence University to train Newt. In regions that are difficult for people to access, Newt can find turtles. “He has access to places that we as humans are unable to. The dog doesn’t care if I crawl through thorny bushes because if he finds a turtle, he gets his ball, “Added Sirois. And that’s all he wants in the end, says the speaker.
Newt is taking part in a six-week trial to see if dogs can help with turtle conservation studies, according to Scott Buchanan, the state herpetologist for DEM. We’ve only been doing this for two weeks, but I’d say we already know Newt is good at finding turtles, Buchanan said. One of the concerns we want to try to answer is whether Newt will ultimately be more proficient than merely a group of humans conducting visual encounter surveys, therefore we are framing the workaround for that topic.
Added he, “It’s just an opportunity to learn more to have another squad with a dog out there. It’s a chance to possibly discover new populations and discover more about those that already exist.” According to the zoo, the study initiative intends to gather “invaluable data” regarding Rhode Island turtle populations, such as movements and habitat use. As turtle populations continue to decline, a new conservation initiative is underway.
According to Lou Perrotti, director of conservation programs at Roger Williams Park Zoo, “we observe a lot of death in turtles this time of year, and regrettably, it’s mostly female turtles carrying the next generation, and now regrettably we have a poaching epidemic.”
“These turtles may not have a bright future. We’ll have incredibly vulnerable populations, and in certain situations, we might lose populations, “Added he.