Carpet sea squirt sniffer dog Skier named Animal of the Year
Six-year-old ecology labrador Skier has been named Animal of the Year by the International Fund for Animal Welfare for sniffing out the invasive carpet sea squirt.
The Full Story
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A six-year-old ecology labrador named Skier has been named Animal of the Year by the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The award recognises her work sniffing out the invasive carpet sea squirt on the west coast of Scotland. The species can smother native wildlife and is sometimes called sea vomit because of its appearance. If it is not controlled, it can devastate marine environments and economies.
Skier works with Dr Texas Sim. When the tide goes out, she searches for colonies of the carpet sea squirt. Dr Sim said the dog had astonished her in the field. She said Skier was finding cryptic, difficult to spot colonies that she would not find, and that a proper survey would not always have time to locate them between tides. Skier is both her pet and her partner in marine ecology.
Scent detection dogs are often used in conservation on land, for tracking endangered species or helping to investigate environmental crime. At low tide, Skier can go under the seaweed to sniff out a target that human ecologists can find very hard to spot. Dr Sim said she was gobsmacked and delighted by the award, and described it as humbling for Skier to be recognised by more people than just her.
The conservation team has grown. Dr Sim's younger dog, Usha, has now joined Skier. With two marine sniffer dogs hunting the carpet sea squirt, the hope is that the invasive species can be controlled, perhaps even eradicated before it takes hold. For Skier and her younger canine colleague, the work is still just a game on the beach.
On screen
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Key Claims
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| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Skier the labrador was named Animal of the Year by the International Fund for Animal Welfare. | |
| The carpet sea squirt is an invasive species that can smother native wildlife and, if not controlled, devastate marine environments and economies. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West gave the story a warm, human-interest treatment, centred on Skier the ecology labrador and her award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. It explained the environmental threat posed by the carpet sea squirt, also called sea vomit, and highlighted Dr Texas Sim's reaction and the arrival of a second sniffer dog, Usha. The report balanced the serious invasive species angle with a light closing note that the dogs treat the work as a game on the beach.
- “Skier is the beloved pet and partner in marine ecology of Dr Texas Sim.”
- “If it's not controlled it can devastate marine environments and economies.”
- “With two marine sniffer dogs hunting the carpet sea squirt, the hope is that this invasive species can be controlled, perhaps even eradicated before it takes hold.”
Broadcast Timeline
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