People say that dog is man's best friend. In an ongoing fight against an invasive species in Hawaiʻi, dogs may also be the coconut rhinoceros beetle's worst enemy.
Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response helps protect Hawaiʻi's communities and environment from the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle.
The beetles were first detected on Oʻahu in 2013. These black, flying beetles are about two inches long with a singular horn. Native to Southeast Asia, they feed on palm trees and other native plants. The beetles can do so much damage that the trees die.
CRB Response has been training dogs to use their keen sense of smell to detect the beetles. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, dogs are estimated to have a sense of smell anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 times better than humans.
Hawaiʻi Public Radio reported on a training session between Marlee Monahan, a dog handler for CRB Response, and Penny, a treat-motivated three-year-old Labrador.
Penny uncovered two buried jars of CRB larvae in only a few minutes.
"They really shine where there is a lot of material to search through, and we just don't have the time or resources to do that," Monahan told Hawaiʻi Public Radio. "They can pinpoint where they're hiding, and then we can target that area specifically with way fewer resources involved."
Dogs are being used around the world to aid in conservation efforts. In the United Kingdom, they are locating an endangered newt species to help in protection efforts. In Montana, bear conflict dogs keep bears away from humans to protect both from unsafe interactions. A collaboration between Brazilian and Chinese researchers produced a robot dog that can monitor invasive fire ants.
These dogs are making a substantial impact in their communities, taking strong steps to reduce the damage of invasive species.
Invasive species are dangerous because the environment is not adapted to their presence. Plants have not adapted to defend themselves from them, and they have no established place in the food chain.
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The government is taking the issue of the invasive CRB very seriously. Residents should report any sightings of the beetles, unless they are on Oʻahu.
The dogs are treated like employees with certain restrictions and working hours.
As Kyoko Johnson, the founder of CRB Response, told Hawaiʻi Public Radio, "the hope is that dogs could help mitigate the damage. We don't know exactly how widespread CRB is on Kauaʻi, but it's worth trying this effort with dogs because they are able to find targets that are not visible to the human eye."
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