My name is Flo and I am training to become a rodent hunter. I am a six month old border terrier crossed with fox terrier.
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Jak, a fully trained rodent hunter.
My great grandparents were used as rodent hunters, so that’s why I have been chosen to do the special job of tracking rodents (rats and mice).
I like the smell of other dogs, but I especially like the smell of rodents.
Once I am qualified in a year and a half, I’ll be put on duty to make sure Auckland’s offshore islands are pest free.
I’ll be one of three dogs working with the Department of Conservation to track down rodents.
I’m a super smeller, so I’ll sniff the baggage of any visitors that arrive on one of the many pest-free islands in the Hauraki Gulf to check that they don’t contain any pests.
Flo on Motutapu Island
You can help by checking your own bag for “stowaways” before going to islands like Rangitoto, Motutapu, Motuihe, Tiritiri Matangi, and Motuora.
And if one of the tracking tunnels on a pest-free island shows rodent prints – it’ll be my job to hunt out the owner of those footprints!
In the meantime, I have lots of training to do before I am a super-duper tracker, like my dad Jak. My mum is also a fully certified rodent dog.
