Update: Reid the biosecurity dog in the Scottish islands, six months on

We first heard about the work of Reid the biosecurity dog five months back. 

Conservationist and handler Rachel Cripps talks to presenter Kate Fairweather about Reid's work, visiting Scotland's islands during the course of the year, in all weathers, searching for evidence of rat incursions. 

Rachel explains the plans for winter, when weather stops all island visits, and how she keeps Reid ticking over and his skills developing. 

What is biosecurity?

Biosecurity is the practice of protecting places from the threats to wildlife posed by the introduction of new diseases or types of plants or animals that do not naturally occur there.

The work of Biosecurity for Scotland focuses on protecting 38 seabird islands around Scotland from invasive non-native mammalian predators, such as rats, mice, mink and stoat. These Scottish islands are remote, home to many globally important colonies of seabirds. Native seabirds, which have not evolved alongside predators and are vulnerable to invasive predators, which eat the eggs, chicks and sometimes adult birds.

Thanks to Sophie at RSPB for introducing Reid and Rachel to the show. 

NTS and NatureScot.Biosecurity for Scotland  is a partnership of RSPB Scotland, National Trust for Scotland and NatureScot. This project is supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.

Other dogs working in conservation

• Reid the bio security dog - the original interview from May 2024;
• Skye, the stoat detection dog working to keep Orkney free from predators;
• A team of five detection dogs survey the Isle of May for ground nesting storm petrels;
• Barley the conservation dog and his international pro