Chelonians includes all tortoise, turtle, and terrapin species. For the purposes of this article, we will use the term “tortoises”.

South Africa is one of the most biodiversity-rich countries in the world and is home to no less than two of the world’s most well-known botanical “biodiversity hotspots”, the Succulent Karoo and Fynbos Biomes. However, few people are aware that South Africa also holds the title as the tortoise capital of the world. South Africa is home to no less than 13 tortoise species, most of which are endemic to the country.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), in partnership with the Turtle Conservancy (TC) launched tortoise conservation research projects over the last two years to locate viable populations and implement conservation action for three of South Africa’s most Endangered tortoises in the dryland areas of South Africa, including the Karoo, which is home to nine of the 13 tortoise species found in South Africa.

There are five species of dwarf tortoise globally, four of which occur in the South African Karoo and one in Namibia. As their name implies, dwarf tortoises rank amongst the smallest of the tortoise species. South Africa also has one Critically Endangered tortoise species, called the Geometric Tortoise. Unfortunately, over the last 20 years researchers have started to notice an alarming decline in population numbers for all of three of the country’s Endangered tortoise species. This significant impact can be attributed to factors like habitat loss, poaching, and crow predation that has been specifically being observed.

Certainly, the human teams have struggled to find a single viable population of both the Karoo and the Speckled Dwarf Tortoise over the last two years of extensive surveys. More than 20 surveys have yielded depressingly few live animals, and in most cases only shell fragments are to be found. All these species are elusive and well camouflaged, making it difficult for even the well-trained eye to spot. As such, it has been vital for us to look at other survey methods, such as using scent detection dogs.

The EWT’s Drylands Conservation Programme, therefore, started training scent detection dogs to assist with tortoise fieldwork projects. Two Border collies, Delta and Dash, have been assisting our team in the field to help locate tortoises with a little guidance from their handler Esther Matthew. Delta has been contributing to this research for the last two years, while Dash only recently started helping after passing his certification. The dogs have helped increase the number of finds, with Delta almost setting a record of six tortoises found in 50 minutes for one of the species. The detection dogs make our search efforts a lot more efficient as we are able to move faster and find hidden tortoises we would likely have missed. Their assistance in the field contributes to data collection for species distribution mapping and monitoring the survival of species in the wild. We can’t wait to see how their “nose work” will continue to benefit the conservation of these unique tortoise species.

The EWT tortoise conservation work is supported by Turtle Conservancy, Dwarf Tortoise Conservation, Rainforest Trust and the IUCN NL. A special word of thanks to Ford Wildlife Foundation for the vehicles that safely gets our staff and working dogs to the remote locations across the Western- and Northern Cape, where we conduct our vital tortoise surveys.