Rathlin Island: Ferret detecting dog protecting wildlife

A detection dog has joined the fight to save seabirds on Rathlin Island.

Woody, the two-year-old Fox Red Labrador, will help trace any remaining ferrets on the island.

The ferrets pose a threat to puffins and other seabirds for which the island is renowned for.

Traps were deployed in October 2023 in the first stage of a world-first plan to eradicate ferrets and rats.

The team behind the LIFE Raft project hopes the complete removal of both invasive species will protect internationally-significant bird populations.