dog backpack

 

Dogs equipped with backpacks are playing a crucial role in rewilding a nature reserve in East Sussex.
These specially designed pouches release wildflower seeds as the dogs explore during their walks.
The Railway Land Wildlife Trust in Lewes is running this pilot project, inspired by the natural behaviour of wolves, which once roamed Britain before their extinction around 1760.
Project manager Dylan Walker noted that dogs cover four times the distance humans do, accessing hard-to-reach areas of the reserve.

“We’ve been so excited about this project, it’s about getting dogs and dog walkers involved in nature conservation on the reserve,” said Dylan.

“If we went back 1,000 years we would have seen wolves and possibly bears roaming the landscape, there might have been bison, wild boar, wild horses. They all had a positive impact on the eco system.

“We’re a small urban nature reserve so we’re very limited in terms of bringing those animals back, but what we do have is a proxy for wolves which are our domesticated dogs.

“We thought, what if we worked with our dog walkers and dogs to regenerate the reserve? Wolves and other animals would carry seeds from grasses and flowers on their fur from a completely different place.

“The dogs put on a pack which have holes in them. As they run along the seeds fall out of the satchels. We’re hoping to see the effects of that by next Spring.”

The Railway Land Nature Reserve spans 25 acres, nestled between a railway line and the River Ouse.
Steve Lewis and his dog Crumble are among the volunteers participating in this innovative scheme.
He said: “Some dogs did it better than others, the big dogs enjoyed wearing these backpacks. You could follow the trail where they went.” 

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