Poop Detectives: Working Dogs in the Field

How can dogs that sniff for excrement, urine, vomit, and mucus help protect animals from extinction? Scat-detection dogs like Wicket, Tucker, and Orbee are conservation heroes and pioneers in a cutting-edge field of science. Canine detec-tives use their super sense of smell to locate the scat of target animals. From loose bear dung to gooey whale poop, scat can tell scientists valuable information about an animal’s sex, age, diet, and health—all without harming the animal or endanger-ing the researcher.