22 November 2008
Kiwi killers’ days numbered
12 October 2007
By Tess Woolcock
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| Cartoon: Michael Glasswell |
Assassin dogs, slayer stoats and killer cats may have their days numbered.
Last month an Auckland research team perfected the use of DNA to identify the perpetrators of serious crime in the animal kingdom.
In something like wildlife CSI, scientists at Landcare Research have discovered how a range of DNA tests can find the animal responsible for killing an endangered creature.
Scientist Dr Dianne Gleeson says identifying predators is important as it enables the Department of Conservation to evaluate how effective pest management is.
“This is a useful application when it’s not known whether the predator is a dog, cat, rat or stoat. It is often difficult to determine from the remains,” she says.
“It informs us whether control operations are effective against the target pests or whether the deaths are due to a new or unexpected predator.”
Tests include analysing feather fragments, eggshell remains, snagged hairs and even saliva remnants on the carcass of the victim.
These DNA samples reveal the predator species.
“Until now, it was only possible to determine cause of death and then make assumptions about who was responsible, but with these new techniques we can identify just who is killing whom out there,” says Gleeson.
Landcare Research scientists, in collaboration with the Wildlife Health Centre at Massey University, developed these DNA methods by genetically “fingerprinting” pest species.
They can then determine which animals have been dining out and where.
All this information is then held in a national database for formulating pest control programmes.
Vet nurse Sian Beattie, who works with wild and domestic animals, says the research has important implications for educating domestic pet owners.
“Often pet owners don’t think that their little darlings are responsible for killing our wildlife.
“Something like this will have to make them see it differently and think, maybe I should not let Fido out unsupervised so he can kill a native bird.”
