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Conservation Canines

How Dogs Work for the Environment

#7 in series

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

★"Robust and engaging...Sure to be a hit with both children writing reports and those who enjoy books about animal companions and adventurous work. A must for school and public libraries."—Booklist, starred review

With their precise sense of smell, their hardworking temperament and their ability to bond with humans, dogs increasingly lend their paws and noses to fixing some of the most complex environmental problems on the planet. What kinds of dogs does it take to help wildlife? What kind of training do they go through? Who are the people who work with these special dogs? What do those people do and what difference do they make for wildlife?

In Conservation Canines: How Dogs Work for the Environment, author Isabelle Groc shares stories of dog encounters in the field and examples of canines working to conserve wildlife. Meet brave Anatolian shepherd dogs protecting farmers' livestock against cheetah attacks and Maremma dogs guarding penguins from foxes. Learn how rescue dogs sniff out orca poop in the ocean and how highly focused canines can detect rare frogs hiding in wetland tunnels. The story of these conservation canines celebrates the profound and ancestral human–animal bond and gives hope and inspiration for finding new ways for people to successfully co-exist with wildlife.

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

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    • Booklist

      Starred review from August 1, 2021
      Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* The Oregon spotted frog is endangered; knowing where it lives is crucial to the conservationists trying to save the species. One such worker in British Columbia has a special assistant: Alli, an Australian cattle dog who stops suddenly and gazes at her handler when she's found one of the frogs. Alli is a detection dog, but that's just one canine conservation job. Chapters here cover the history of working dogs, dogs that guard livestock and wild animals, canine conservation training, "Top Dogs Saving the Wild" (which includes information on the high-interest topics of animal poop and poison), and how readers can help in conservation work. Groc's large, high-quality color photos showcase numerous beautiful creatures working, with their human conservationists often alongside. The text is dense with scientific facts, notably about canines' incredible sense of smell, and sidebars cover related fascinating topics, such as how the animals have been employed as truffle hunters. Nonfiction for this age group frequently highlights working animals, but it doesn't often focus on their conservation assistance, nor is it as comprehensively detailed as this robust and engaging title. Sure to be a hit with both children writing reports and those who enjoy books about animal companions and adventurous work. A must for school and public libraries.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Kirkus

      August 15, 2021
      Around the world, specially trained dogs are working with handlers to improve the environment. In some places dogs sniff out illegal animal products such as ivory, pelts, and horns, both at poaching sites and in distant places where the contraband is shipped. Dogs are being used to discover invasive species like zebra mussels, preventing expensive, hard-to-manage infestations. Rare and endangered animals can be tracked through the discovery of their scat. Dogs are perfect for these jobs, with a success rate that far exceeds that of human conservationists. Guard dogs protect domesticated animals from reintroduced predators like bears and wolves, reducing farmers' urge to destroy these vulnerable populations. They're also employed to find poisoned bait that farmers have deployed. Perhaps the most unusual use is that of dogs on boats that seek out the floating scat of nonmigratory orcas off the coast of Washington. The scat provides detailed information on the status of environmental threats to the endangered whales. Numerous color photographs accompany the detailed text. Text boxes offer additional information. Unfortunately, both those and photograph captions are presented in very small print. Readers might also wish for more photographs of the rarely seen animals such as pangolin and quoll. The final chapter includes ways readers can help in the field, although some may be unrealistic for the young audience. Anjelica Houston contributes a foreword. A well-researched and balanced presentation on a pertinent, high-interest topic. (glossary, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
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  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:8.6
  • Lexile® Measure:1260
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:7

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