Adelaide University Media Release
Adelaide University researchers have shown that pairing sniffer dogs with a simple air-sampling device could dramatically improve the detection of illegally trafficked wildlife hidden inside shipping containers.
In a new paper published in Conservation Biology, veterinarian researchers report that air extracted from sealed shipping containers can be analysed by detection dogs with almost 98% accuracy, allowing authorities to identify containers carrying illegal wildlife products without opening them or disrupting port operations.
The four-year PhD project, undertaken in collaboration with the world’s third largest shipping company CMA CGM, provides a proof-of-concept for frontline agencies to trial the method in operational port environments.
Wildlife trafficking is one of the world’s largest illegal trades, worth an estimated USD$20 billion each year, and shipping containers are a weak point. Millions of containers move through global ports annually, but only a small fraction can be inspected, allowing traffickers to exploit gaps in surveillance.
Lead researcher Dr Georgia Moloney from Adelaide University’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, said the new approach addresses a critical gap in current enforcement efforts.
“Shipping containers are ideal for traffickers because they can be sealed and they blend into the high volume of container traffic moving through ports,” Dr Moloney said. “Our research shows it’s possible to screen containers non-invasively by sampling the air inside them and letting detection dogs do what they do best.”
The research team designed a portable air extraction device that fits onto a standard container vent and draws air through a filter. That filter is then presented to a trained detection dog, which can indicate whether the scent of specific illegal wildlife products is present.
To test the method, the researchers concealed pelts from five big cat species – African lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah – inside 20ft and 40ft shipping containers. The pelts were arranged to simulate realistic smuggling conditions, including being hidden inside cardboard boxes to increase concealment.
A trained detection dog assessed air samples collected from the containers under a range of airflow conditions and container configurations.
“The dog was able to detect the presence of big cat pelts with very high accuracy, even when the pelts were concealed,” Dr Moloney said. “That tells us the scent is still escaping into the container airspace in a way that can be reliably captured and assessed.”
Across all tests, the detection dog achieved a very high success rate, regardless of container size, airflow method or the level of concealment.
Dr Moloney said this consistency was particularly encouraging for real-world applications.
“Our project demonstrated the adaptability of trained dogs to detect different wildlife scents, even under challenging conditions. It shows their exceptional olfactory abilities, which are far superior to humans.”
Detection dogs are already widely used by customs and border agencies around the world, but their ability to screen sealed containers at scale is limited. Containers are often inaccessible, stacked high, or located in environments that are unsuitable for dogs to work safely.
“This approach brings the scent to the dog, rather than the dog to the container. It means dogs could screen many more containers in a controlled environment, without interfering with port operations or opening cargo unnecessarily.”
While the study was conducted under controlled conditions, the researchers say the results provide a strong proof of concept. Further trials are planned to validate the method in operational port environments and with a broader range of wildlife products.
“Our goal is to give frontline agencies another practical tool to help intercept illegal wildlife trade,” according to project supervisor Dr Anne Lise-Chaber, an international expert in the field.
“If we can detect trafficked wildlife earlier and more efficiently, we can better protect threatened species and disrupt the criminal networks behind this trade,” Dr Chaber said.
”The low cost, portability and scalability of the air extraction device makes it well suited for use in high-risk ports and border crossings worldwide. The method could also be readily adapted for detecting other forms of trafficking using trained dogs, such as narcotics smuggling, thereby increasing its appeal to border agencies.”
‘Combining detection dogs with air extraction methodology to expose wildlife trafficking in containerized cargo’ is published in Conservation Biology.
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Another scientific success story from the fertile South Australian fields of academia. Back in 1969 ANZAAS conference a young SA post-graduate designed a (now crude) ”drone” to assess pathogenic crop damage in broad acre fields.
It was a six foot wing span model plane having assorted cameras able to be fitted to photograph the crops below.
This would work with any trafficking, wouldn’t it, including drugs?
A dog’s sense of smell is a marvel to behold, believed to be, in some breeds, e.g., the bloodhound, up to 10 million times as sensitive as a human’s.
Discussed in depth in Alexandra Horowitz’s Inside of a Dog. A truly remarkable sense, and not confined to dogs. A station manager in the NT told me that his cattle could smell water from 10km away. African elephants are the kings of mammalian smell sensitivity, scenting water at 20 km, bears are 7x times better than bloodhounds, and silkmoths can detect a single molecule of pheromone per 100 quadrillion air molecules.
Not that any of these extraordinary facts will withstand the mowing down and destruction of ecosystems in order to feed the gaping jaws of global corporations, capitalism, and the unfettered needs of the world’s billionaires.
Well said Canguro, it demonstrates that nature is far more accurate, sentient and acute than any human mind which still struggles with the concept of respect, period.
This is also a win in several aspects, the wildlife, the teamwork required between dogs and humans as well as a better options for those that have been discarded willy nilly and put to death because they are not cute or inconvenient.
There are many in the broader community that for various reasons could do with the companionship of a dog or even a cat, but nah to woke for the greedy bastards all round, the vilest example of a lack of respect all round.