Rex Specs dog glasses help with carcass testing
Kody, a German Shorthaired Pointer male, and his handler Markus from Brandenburg are a state-certified team for carcass testing. The reason for their volunteer work is sad. Since September 2020, African swine fever has been spreading in Brandenburg, originating in Poland. Several districts are now affected. To cool off, infected wild boars prefer to retreat to damp and cool areas, as the disease causes a high fever, which quickly kills the pigs. The carcasses are highly infectious and must be found and removed quickly. This is where the two come in. Together, they search thickets, undergrowth, and reed beds.
Carcass experiments with hunting dogs
Today they want to search for dead wild boar at Lake Oderberg near the border with Poland. As Markus reports, the area is always the biggest challenge. Mud, reeds and dead woody plants do more than just make for wet feet. Markus and Kody know the shoreline very well because they have been here many times looking for dead game, always when the search is unavoidable . Markus relies completely on Kody; he only gives him a rough direction and Kody begins to use his keen sense of smell. He has been specially trained for carcass tests and has mastered them perfectly. Normal hunting dogs only search for live game. Markus follows his dog on a nearly 5 kilometre long route through dense woodland and waist-high reeds. His four-legged hunting partner probably walks 3-4 times as far because he is searching all over the place. Kody not only indicates dead game but also warns of wild boar that is still alive . During one such encounter, Kody was attacked by a wild boar, but thanks to his boar protection vest, he only suffered minor injuries.
Safe eye protection against sharp-edged reeds.
The importance of the right equipment is demonstrated not only by the wild boar attack. Kody's head, especially the area around his eyes, was repeatedly injured after encounters with sharp-edged reeds. He now owns Rex Specs dog goggles, which protect not only his eyes but also a large area of his face thanks to the large protective lens. The goggles don't restrict him; Markus can now let Kody search through the densest bushes and reeds with peace of mind, knowing that he won't injure his eyes.
Experienced search dog team searching for fallen game
Searching for dead game is not without risk, but the two are a well-coordinated team and are well-equipped with GPS tracking, a boar protective vest, and Rex Specs dog goggles. Markus is an amateur hunter and knows what it takes when he volunteers to search for dead wild boar to contain African swine fever in Germany. The two are supported by the local fire department, which secures transport by boat and stays in radio contact with Markus during the search. Given these conditions, success is inevitable. Kody has so far found eight carcasses in varying stages of decomposition.
What are the effects of African swine fever?
This disease is highly contagious (there is currently no vaccine) and can spread rapidly to domestic pigs. The disease progresses rapidly and leads to the rapid death of affected animals. Therefore, it is important to locate and dispose of infected carcasses as quickly as possible to prevent or at least contain its spread . If African wild boar fever occurs on a livestock farm, the only way to prevent further spread is to cull the entire herd.
Originally from Africa, the disease is currently found in many wild boar populations in Eastern Europe. In Saxony and Brandenburg alone, approximately 1,700 cases of African swine fever have already been reported.
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