Chris Flegler and Aka. According to Biosecurity staff, Aka means also known as ‘gorgeous, clever doggie’.
Aka at work.
Aka at play, a reward for his diligence.
Detector dogs sniff out fire ants
The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (Biosecurity Queensland) has a secret weapon in the fight to eradicate fire ants - Aka the Labrador sniffer dog.
Fire ant detector dog Aka and his two canine colleagues Mikey and Elroy have been trained to detect the pheromone odour emitted by fire ants. A first for Australia, the fire ant detector dogs are essential members of the Biosecurity Queensland team.
In their training, Aka, Mikey and Elroy have a 100 per cent success rate for sniffing out fire ants. Their testing involved having to find a series of buried vials containing the insects.
In addition to traditional dog training techniques, lessons included the use of fire ant ‘dollies’, pieces of cloth carrying the scent of the ants. Aka's trainer and handler Chris Flegler used the dollies to teach Aka to recognise the scent of his quarry.
But it's not doggy nibbles that Aka craves as a reward; it's playtime. Every time he finds a fire ant scent and leads his handler to the suspects, Aka gets to play.
‘This is the fun part for the dog. Play is his motivation to work,’ Chris said.
Aka can cover up to 3.5 hectares a day and identify whole areas where fire ant nests are located.
Aka's movements are tracked by a global positioning system attached to his collar. Results are fed back into the team's database, which supports the fire ant program.
Although Aka is an important tool in finding fire ant nests, residents play a vital role in fighting the invasion.
If you think you've found a fire ant nest, call the Fire Ant Eradication Program (external site) on 13 25 23.
Photos by Hugh O'Brien
News flash
Gladstone free of fire ants
Surveys show that Yarwun on Gladstone's outskirts is now free of fire ants. It is one of the few areas in the world to eradicate the pest.
The eradication process started in Gladstone in 2006 where 14 nests were discovered. Biosecurity Queensland eradicated 12 nests in March 2006 and a further two in November 2006.
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Last reviewed: 7 August, 2009
Last updated: 10 August, 2009
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