Scent-detection dogs trained to track elusive Wyong sun orchid

Australia Broadcast Center

28-04-2025

Noses at the ready — Paddy, Sully, and Vera have a critical job.
The three dogs have been trained to locate underground tubers of the Wyong sun orchid in a trial that is an Australian first.
The plant lies dormant beneath the earth's surface most of the time and is hard to see unless it's flowering.
Found on the New South Wales Central Coast, the orchid blooms only on warm, sunny days between September and November, and has dark, bluish-purple flowers.
The dark, bluish-purple Wyong sun orchid is critically endangered, primarily due to habitat loss.
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Supplied: Central Coast Council
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Senior regional biodiversity conservation officer Paul Hillier is working on the trial as part of the NSW government's Saving Our Species program, in collaboration with the Central Coast Council.
Mr Hillier said if the furry trio had not been introduced, the orchid's future could have been "tragic".
"[The dogs'] noses are pretty remarkable, they can pick up a whole other ecosystem beneath our feet," he said.
"
Without them, our conservation efforts would be limited because they're almost impossible to find with the naked eye.
"
Mr Hillier said the orchid was critically endangered, primarily due to the loss of its habitat.
"Because they're so dormant and hard to find, we never know when we're losing them," he said.
"But now we can ensure that things like landscape works or controlled burns can occur without damaging the species."
Paul Hillier says the trial could revolutionise how threatened species are monitored and protected.
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ABC Central Coast: Emma Simkin
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Mr Hillier said the trial, which had been underway for more than 12 months, had been very successful.
He said it could revolutionise how threatened species were monitored and protected.
"There are a lot of species, particularly flowers, that are extremely elusive and don't want to be found the traditional way," he said.
"
[The dogs] open up a whole new door to conservation.
"
A ripple effect
The Central Coast Council's unit manager of environmental management, Luke Sulkowski, said the trial had been key to providing insights into the local biodiversity.
Paddy, Sully and Vera have been trained to find the underground tubers of the Wyong sun orchid.
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ABC Central Coast: Emma Simkin
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"[Council's] landscape is more than 6,000 hectares, and unfortunately, we still lack so much knowledge about it," he said.
Mr Sulkowski said conservation efforts, such as this program, also allowed the council to be critical of where future developments would be located.
"Australia has one of the worst species extinction rates in the world, and we don't want our region to be part of that,"
he said.
"So when we identify species like this, we really want to do whatever we can to identify them, understand them and do what needs to be done to protect and support them."
Mr Hillier says the project will help contribute to the orchid's conservation.
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ABC Central Coast: Emma Simkin
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Mr Hillier said if the Wyong sun orchid disappeared, it would be detrimental to the rest of the habitat.
"It's very dangerous when a species leaves the ecosystem; it has a ripple effect down the whole chain,"
he said.
"That plant is a food source for bees and other insects, and then those bugs are food for bigger animals — so it disrupts everything."
For the love of sniffing
Dog handlers Mel Daly and Philly Carruthers have been working alongside the three pooches the entire time.
Philly Carruthers with Vera (left) and Mel Daly with Paddy and Sully.
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Supplied: Central Coast Council
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The trial was made possible by Wyong sun orchid propagation at the Victoria Botanic Gardens, and Ms Daly said the propagated seeds enabled Paddy, Sully, and Vera to be trained.
"It's been so rewarding to see them head out so quickly after initial training, and they're doing so well," she said.
Ms Daly said the three dogs were selected from a very young age to undergo scent detection.
"The cocker spaniel is a really desired breed for this type of work, and they train their entire lives,"
she said.
Photo shows
Two green and maroon orchids.
With only a few hundred charming spider orchids left in the wild, the species' complex relationships with other organisms are thought to be hindering its survival.
"Before orchids, they worked in koala detection, which was very important in helping conserve that species' habitat, so I'm glad they get to be part of something great again."
Ms Carruthers said the project had made her feel "like a proud mum".
"Sometimes they find it immediately, or it takes a couple of hours, but no matter what, I am so pleased with them," she said.
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[They] absolutely love what they do, whether it's pouring rain or a hot day, they love their job.
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