Dog Is Trained To Track And Find Endangered Turtles

Dogs can do some pretty impressive things. Not only can they put a smile on our face without any problem, but they can also be trained to sniff out almost anything imaginable. Some may look for drugs, others may look for bombs but for a dog named Koda, it was something much more interesting.

Koda is an Australian shepherd mix that is trained to track and find Eastern box turtles. In Massachusetts, they are becoming increasingly rare because of the loss of habitat. The dog was trained for a year and was able to test her abilities in late August with a trip to the field with Zoo New England staff. We’re happy to report that things went well.

One of the dog’s trainers started by finding turtles to ensure that Koda was also able to find those live reptiles. Five turtles were initially found and Koda was able to locate all of them, including one that the trainer did not find.

“Koda will be an invaluable team member as she will assist us in more quickly and accurately locating these turtles that we are working so hard to protect,” said Christine, one of her trainers.

Koda enjoys being in Franklin Park but she also loves being at the zoo. You can find her at the zoo several days a week taking walks between her play sessions and training. You will be able to recognize her because she wears the bright ‘Turtle Dog’ vest.