Koala-tracking canine is on the case

IF you were a koala and had a dog tracking you down, you’d be hoping it was Maya the environmental canine on the case.

Maya, the only professionally-trained koala poo detection dog in the world, is on her way to the Sunshine Coast as part of the council’s koala conservation program.

In a twist of fate, Maya was saved from the RSPCA and is now saving koalas.

The friendly border collie will spend the next few weeks seeking out koala scats (as they are more politely referred to in the industry) on 55 Sunshine Coast Council reserves, Land for Wildlife and voluntary conservation agreement properties.

Environment Portfolio Councillor Jenny McKay said the survey was a vital component of the council’s Koala Conservation Plan and Maya’s work was funded through the environment levy.

“Knowing where our koalas are on the Sunshine Coast is essential if we are to identify area-specific threats and impacts and develop the appropriate conservation measures to mitigate those impacts,” Cr McKay said.

“The survey outcomes will contribute to a growing body of data that is informing the draft Koala Conservation Plan which will be going out for community consultation in October.”

“Maya will have a huge impact on our survey work and will provide the data we need to protect our koalas in the long-term.

“We are committed to protecting our koala population and bringing Maya onto the team is just another example of our environment levy at work.”

Dog trainer Gary Jackson said Maya had been purposefully selected for the program.

“Maya was a 12-month-old abandoned dog at the RSPCA when we discovered her about three years ago,” Gary said.

“She has an incredibly high drive for a tennis ball and can run through a national park and not be of danger to any animal.

“She’s a super star and has won hearts right around Australia.

“As soon as she’s found poop - sometimes under a minute - she drops. You can work out whether the poop is from a fresh colony, if they are cruising through or staying longer.”

Gary works with Maya’s owner, Dr Romane Cristescu from WildHelpers, and ecologist Olivia Woosnam from OWAD Environment who together ensure Maya remains efficient, balanced and highly-motivated.

Romane said Maya had the perfect temperament for this type of work.

“Maya is obsessive compulsive,” Romane said. “She wants to chase a ball all day long.

“These dogs need to be attentive to humans and must follow orders and because she’s working off-leash in a national park, we needed to ensure she was not a threat to wildlife.

“Every animal is safe with Maya. She even allows our family chickens to eat her food.”

Romane has been involved in koala research since 2006 and before Maya came along, she spent a lot of time on her knees searching for koala scats.

“Obviously working with the dog is more enjoyable, but Maya’s acute sense of smell makes her so much faster and more efficient than a human and we can provide more accurate data for conservation,” she said.

But does Romane hold out hope the koala can be saved?

“You have to hope otherwise it’s not worth it.

“If we can’t save the koala, it’s not a good outlook for any animal because koalas are the cutest in the world.”

HOW SUNSHINE COAST COUNCIL IS SAVING THE KOALA

• Acquire and manage environmentally-significant land with the Environment Levy
• Increase the level of protection on selected Environment Levy land to “Nature Refuge” status to secure koala habitat
• Establish a three-year partnership with Australia Zoo Animal Hospital to treat injured koalas and assist with koala rescues.
• Minimise new development impacts on koalas and koala habitats through the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme
• Coordinate a wild dog baiting program
• Implement the Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 which identifies the koala as a significant species
• Develop a Sunshine Coast Koala Conservation Plan