references
Ajax – The making of a kea dog
Corey Mosen
a behaviour which, fortunately, he was forgiven for and which, even more fortunately, he grew out of. I immediately set about training him for his new life as a kea nest detector dog, a job which he would have to perform in one of New Zealand’s harshest landscapes. Initially it was a bit touch and go, and his warrior namesake seemed to have forsaken him but slowly and surely both Ajax and myself worked on a training regime designed to increase his confidence and natural tracking abilities. My aim of getting him into the DOC conservation species programme so he could accompany me into the National Parks to look for kea became an increasing reality. The Conservation Dogs Programme, established in 2002, uses highly trained dogs and handlers for conservation work. Dogs used to detect protected species are trained to find and indicate target species so they can be captured by handlers to be banded, monitored and/or relocated. This requires a huge commitment of time and a high level of skill and, once training is completed and the dogs are certified, regular ongoing work is needed to maintain a high level of competency. Those taking part in the training process undergo a two-stage system to ensure that rigid standards and are met. The dog must be shown to be
I have worked with kea in the Southern Alps of New Zealand since 2008, both for the Kea Conservation Trust and the Department of Conservation. Nest monitoring and surveying of kea populations is now my speciality and, as a result, I spend most of my work effort tracking kea and locating their nest cavities to help ascertain predator impact, survivorship and population status. Finding kea nests takes considerable time and effort and finding ways to make this difficult job easier has always been high on my list of priorities. A trip to Westport one rainy
weekend two-and-a-half years ago to pick up a catahoula cross puppy that KCT Chair, Tamsin, had found ‘free to a good home’ on TradeMe, would ultimately and fortuitously change the way I would locate kea nests in the Southern Alps. Ajax, as I named my new pup, after the legendary Greek soldier renowned for fighting in the Trojan war (not the cleaning product), was a shy but excitable little black and white ball of fluff. During the drive back along the winding Buller Gorge I quickly discovered he was also prone to car sickness. Very personable and friendly, he also liked to urinate on visitors’ feet,
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