Wonder dog saves island's seabirds from invasive ferrets

A specially trained dog has used his super-smelling powers to save seabirds on Rathlin Island, just off the coast of Northern Ireland.

Woody the red fox labrador has helped get rid of the pesky ferrets that were threatening important bird species, including puffins.

He is a trained conservation dog and wears goggles when he's at work!

The island is now ferret free and there are already encouraging signs that populations of seabirds will rise this year.

Ferrets may look cute and fluffy but, to the island, they were a dangerous non-native invasive species.

This means they did not come from the island and took over native animals' habitats and food, which was dangerous to seabirds.

Ferrets are thought to have been brought to the island deliberately in the 1980s to control pests, such as rats that arrived on boats in the 19th century.

Now, thanks to Woody the wonder dog, plenty of hardworking volunteers and several charities, no ferrets have been seen on the Island since October 2023.

Claire Barnett, a manager of the Bird charity RSPB, is hopeful there will be plenty more birds on the island.

"Seabird colonies can recover very, very quickly, so we're very hopeful, and we've already seen some very promising signs from last year's breeding season, that the numbers here will climb up and really secure themselves," she says.

Removing ferrets also has benefits for the community, and means people can keep chickens without worrying their chicks or eggs might be snatched.

The island is home to Northern Ireland's biggest seabird colony, with more than 250,000 birds, including puffins, razorbills and guillemots. It's a popular tourist attraction.

Woody is now the island's biosecurity dog, which means he helps the humans keep out dangerous animals and diseases.