Conservation group sniffs out detector dog to save red-listed seabirds on Rathlin Island

Two-year-old Woody training ahead of his first day on the job.

Two-year-old detector dog Woody began a new mission on Wednesday — saving seabirds on Rathlin Island.

Following months of training, the Fox Red Labrador has arrived on the island and is ready to start sniffing out ferrets that have been wreaking havoc on seabird populations.

Puffins lay a single egg during the breeding season so the loss of the chick represents a potential generation lost. Picture: Viviana Biazzo

The island was once a haven for seabirds and is home to puffins, guillemots, kittiwake and other important seabirds.

Last year, only one in three puffin chicks — sometimes called pufflings — survived.

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Puffins lay a single egg during the breeding season so the loss of the chick represents a potential generation lost.

The species are red-listed according to Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland 2020-2026 and is of high conservation value.

Woody, nicknamed The Unit, will spend the summer finding ferrets that trail cameras and thermal drones were unable to spot.

"We knew we needed the best dog for the job to get us over the finish line," said his handler, Michael Rafferty, LIFE Raft Fieldwork Manager.

"Woody's ludicrous energy levels, uncanny sniffing skills, and goofy grin ticked all our boxes."

On his first day, Woody has been given a tour of the island and introduced to the community before starting on the job.

Woody with his handler, Michael Rafferty, LIFE Raft Fieldwork Manager. 'Woody's ludicrous energy levels, uncanny sniffing skills, and goofy grin ticked all our boxes.'

Trained using his favourite toy, a ball on a string, Woody will seek out the scent of the ferrets and alert the team to the location.

The giveaway that he has detected something will be when the hyper-energetic dog comes to an uncharacteristic standstill.

Members of the team will then set traps in that area.

Once he has finished finding ferrets, Woody will likely be retrained to tackle another threat to the seabirds — brown rats.

A kittiwake with her chicks on Rathlin Island. Picture: Viviana Biazzo

Ferrets are an invasive non-native species on Rathlin first introduced by farmers in the 1980s in an effort to deal with the rabbit population.

However, ferrets soon escaped and found seabirds, particularly chicks, were an easier meal to catch and soon there was a large number of feral ferrets on the island.

After exploring different ways to deal with the ferrets, the LIFE Raft project concluded that eradication was the only option to deal with the issue on Rathlin Island and protect the vulnerable bird species.

Having first opened traps in October 2023, the team has caught 98 ferrets to date.

Woody, nicknamed The Unit, will spend the summer finding ferrets that trail cameras and thermal drones were unable to spot.

In September, the LIFE Raft team will begin to place 7,000 bait stations across the island in a bid to rid the island of brown rats.

Michael Cecil, Chair of the Rathlin Development Community Association (RDCA), said the project is important to both nature and the local community.

"Thousands of people travel to Rathlin every year to experience the sights and sounds of the amazing seabirds, so protecting the wildlife means protecting a whole way of life, as well as securing the livelihoods of many of the people who live here," he said.

"This project has the potential to protect the future of this historic island.”