Anguilla National Trust has announced the arrival of three new canine companions – Spark, Meadow and Willow – as part of its ongoing commitment to nature conservation.
Funded by the United Kingdom government’s Darwin Plus grant, the initiative aims to enhance the trust’s invasive species monitoring and biodiversity efforts.
The dogs are undergoing training in scent detection in collaboration with Guadeloupe-based Le Domaine Canin, one of the region’s leading organisations in dog training, handling and education.
With their acute sense of smell, the new team members will help to identify invasive species, which pose a threat to the local ecosystem.
“We’re super excited about creating our own canine scent detection unit and our new partnership…” Anguilla National Trust said in a Facebook post on 21 September.
“And, to be honest, having this much cuteness around really doesn’t hurt.”
Spark, Meadow and Willow will eventually be trained to detect iguanas, iguana nests and sea turtle nests, but the initiative is “still in the early stages”, the post said.
The trust’s efforts reflect a growing recognition of the importance of biodiversity and the need for innovative solutions in conservation.
