To protect the River Murray's turtles, a team in South Australia has turned to four-legged allies. The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board has launched its turtle management strategy.
ABC highlighted the project with Skylos Ecology, co-directed by Fiona Jackson. It unites environmentalists, scientists, and Indigenous rangers to safeguard native freshwater species.
Jackson and her team use border collies and kelpies as conservation detection dogs. The humane process with dogs helps locate turtle nests.
Search animals are assets in endangered species research.
Their sense of smell — up to 100,000 times better than a human's — finds biological markers like turtle odor. By finding the nests early, the team can protect the eggs from predators.
The situation for these endangered species is critical.
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One in three Australian freshwater turtles faces extinction, according to ABC. In South Australia, the Murray short-necked and broad-shelled turtles are vulnerable.
Habitat loss, drought, and river regulation have been debilitating factors.
The most immediate threat is fox predation. Along the river, turtle nests are dug up by foxes, preventing new turtle populations.
Protecting these turtles is essential to the river ecosystem.
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Definitely 👍 Dubbed "the vacuum cleaners of the river," native turtles are an environmental lifeline. They "eat dead animals and algae, cycle nutrients," and clean waterways, per ABC.
Turtle scavenging removes fish carcasses up to five times faster than natural decomposition. This improves the river's water quality. Without turtles, the water would be murkier and more prone to toxic algal blooms.
Beyond the dogs' remarkable work, the strategy emphasizes community education and cultural heritage.
Ngarrindjeri woman and junior ranger Lucy Sumner shares knowledge of the thukabi, the native term for freshwater turtles. She teaches students to become custodians of the wetlands.
According to ABC, this two-year funded project is active until June 2027. By then, a full management strategy will be in place to ensure turtles thrive for another 100 years.
Fostering strong human-animal relationships can solve environmental challenges. The MRLB is paving the way for a cleaner, healthier river system. Advocates can take local action now to protect local wildlife in their environment.
As MRLB senior project officer Sylvia Clarke explained, per ABC, "we need to do everything we. … We still need to care."
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