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| Florida: labradors join fight to eradicate giant African land snail | Florida: labradors join fight to eradicate giant African land snail |
| (21 days later) | |
| Florida officials trying to eradicate the giant African land snail, one of the world's most destructive invasive species, plan to deploy a new weapon in the battle – labrador retrievers. | Florida officials trying to eradicate the giant African land snail, one of the world's most destructive invasive species, plan to deploy a new weapon in the battle – labrador retrievers. |
| State agriculture authorities say they hope the dogs will add to their success in fighting an infestation of the snails, which were first spotted by a homeowner nearly two years ago and quickly swept through the Miami area. | State agriculture authorities say they hope the dogs will add to their success in fighting an infestation of the snails, which were first spotted by a homeowner nearly two years ago and quickly swept through the Miami area. |
| Officials said they had collected 128,000 of the snails since the start of an aggressive extermination campaign. They can grow as big as rats and devour plants as well as stucco and plaster in a hunt for calcium they need to grow their big shells. In large numbers, the snails can cause extensive structural damage to buildings. | Officials said they had collected 128,000 of the snails since the start of an aggressive extermination campaign. They can grow as big as rats and devour plants as well as stucco and plaster in a hunt for calcium they need to grow their big shells. In large numbers, the snails can cause extensive structural damage to buildings. |
| "We see a lot of strange things in Florida and this one makes the top of the list," said Florida agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam. "It is a very serious pest." | "We see a lot of strange things in Florida and this one makes the top of the list," said Florida agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam. "It is a very serious pest." |
| Putnam said $6 million had been spent to eradicate the snails, which may have been introduced to Florida by a Miami Santeria group, a religion with West African and Caribbean roots that was found in 2012 to be using the snails in its rituals. | Putnam said $6 million had been spent to eradicate the snails, which may have been introduced to Florida by a Miami Santeria group, a religion with West African and Caribbean roots that was found in 2012 to be using the snails in its rituals. |
| The snails can carry a parasitic rat lungworm that can cause illness in humans, including a form of meningitis, although no such cases have been identified in the United States. | The snails can carry a parasitic rat lungworm that can cause illness in humans, including a form of meningitis, although no such cases have been identified in the United States. |
| To stamp out the snails, a team of 45 people regularly fans out across Miami, sometimes using rakes and getting down on their hands and knees to hunt for them. | To stamp out the snails, a team of 45 people regularly fans out across Miami, sometimes using rakes and getting down on their hands and knees to hunt for them. |
| The snail fighters also use bait, chemical treatments and experimental traps to root out the molluscs, helped by phone calls from residents who report sightings. | The snail fighters also use bait, chemical treatments and experimental traps to root out the molluscs, helped by phone calls from residents who report sightings. |
| Joining them soon will be canine detectors, including a labrador retriever being trained to sniff out the snails. | Joining them soon will be canine detectors, including a labrador retriever being trained to sniff out the snails. |
| "They're very good at detecting the giant African land snail," said Richard Gaskalla, the head of plant industry at the Florida agriculture department. "So we're building four-legged technology into this program as quickly as we can." | "They're very good at detecting the giant African land snail," said Richard Gaskalla, the head of plant industry at the Florida agriculture department. "So we're building four-legged technology into this program as quickly as we can." |
| The snail has no natural predator, but it can give off a strong smell that dogs can be trained to detect. | The snail has no natural predator, but it can give off a strong smell that dogs can be trained to detect. |
| Officials showed off a black labrador named Bear who is expected to soon wrap up his three-month training and start accompanying the snail hunters. Two other Labradors are expected to be trained, they said. | Officials showed off a black labrador named Bear who is expected to soon wrap up his three-month training and start accompanying the snail hunters. Two other Labradors are expected to be trained, they said. |
| Officials say they believe they have contained the snails to the Miami area. Gaskalla said the programme was showing success, with a sharp drop in numbers found. | Officials say they believe they have contained the snails to the Miami area. Gaskalla said the programme was showing success, with a sharp drop in numbers found. |
| "The number of detections this last year were in the thousands; now they are down to about 200 to 300 a week," he said. | "The number of detections this last year were in the thousands; now they are down to about 200 to 300 a week," he said. |
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