OFIRA the labrador's keen sense of smell may help Far North Queensland win the war against electric ants.
For eight months, the playful dog from Brisbane has been trained in the fine art of detecting the invasive ant species, and has so far been able to find as few as 10 ants in a vial hidden several metres away.
Biosecurity Queensland officers are confident that with more training Ofira will be able to home in on ant infestations outside of Cairns’ restricted suburbs of Smithfield, Kewarra Beach, Caravonica and Trinity Beach.
The electric ant – which poses significant environmental risks and has the potential to cause blindness in pets – was first found at 17 homes at Smithfield in 2006.
Eradication co-ordinator Charlotte Greer said dogs had proven to be extremely successful in the detection of fire ants in Brisbane.
"Because of the success with the fire ant program, we’ve got every confidence that this will give us the same level of success."
