The Sumatran rhino is one of the most endangered species in the world. Global wildlife conservation authority IUCN recently estimated that only 34 to 47 of these rhinos still exist in the wild, and those that do are incredibly elusive.
However, according to Mongabay, canines from the group Working Dogs for Conservation discovered rhino scat in Way Kambas National Park in Indonesia not long ago, which conservationists currently believe may have come from Sumatran rhinos.
Testing has begun on the scat discovered by the canines. The only test run so far confirmed that it was Sumatran rhino dung; however, two more tests must be run before conservationists and the Indonesian government are certain. Cautious optimism remains, though.
The executive director of Working Dogs for Conservation, Pete Coppolillo, told Mongabay, "I was nothing short of thrilled. With fewer than 50 [Sumatran rhinos] in the entire global population, even a single individual is a big deal."
Working Dogs for Conservation was founded by four women who decided to use a canine's phenomenal sense of smell to help protect nature and wildlife.
The group built upon techniques used to teach dogs to sniff out items like narcotics and bombs to enable their dogs to instead detect elusive wildlife, noxious weeds, and disease in wildlife. Additionally, these canines help stem the tide of wildlife trafficking by being trained to sniff out rhino horns, ivory, guns, and more.
In the case of the Sumatran rhinos, authorities and conservationists had spent years trying practically everything, including camera traps, ranger searchers, and drones, to determine whether any rhinos remained on the land. The dogs from Working Dogs for Conservation located the rhino dung within two days.
Utilizing canines as tools to locate endangered species populations — when done in a humane manner — can aid conservationists and researchers immensely. Our four-legged friends are much more capable of locating elusive populations that are too challenging for humans to find, as they can sniff out biological and habitual markers (like dung).
As the case of the Sumatran rhinos illustrates, conservation efforts like these are vital. When endangered species, like these rhinos, die out, the effects cascade throughout the local ecosystem and resonate even in local towns and villages.
The Sumatran rhino is vital because it is a selective grazer, consuming leaves and fruits. When rhinos roam to different areas, they disperse seeds, which then help maintain the biodiversity and overall health of the forest systems where they live.
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Extremely 😫 If the hero dogs from Working Dogs for Conservation have indeed located any Sumatran rhinos, conservationists may capture them for their breeding program, which is in severe need of new genes.
The executive director of the International Rhino Foundation, Nina Fascione, shared with Mongabay, "There are clearly some very reclusive rhinos hanging out. My hope is that there are more of those rhinos in more places than we know of."
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