Detection Dog
Fraser Coast, Australia
Detection Dog for Conservation
Detecting both native and invasive species can be challenging, even for experienced ecologists or large teams of volunteers. Friends of Vernon Conservation Park understand these challenges well. With support from Fraser Coast Regional Council grants, they’ve taken an innovative step: training a specialised detection dog to strengthen their conservation efforts.
Meet Tilly, a highly skilled detection dog with a nose for foxes, and most importantly, their dens. As of 2026, Tilly is fully trained in fox den detection and has already located dozens of dens across the region. As the first four-legged member of a Friends of Parks group, Tilly is working alongside Council and, in the future, other land managers to help detect and control fox populations across the Fraser Coast and beyond.
Foxes are an introduced species in Australia and have had a devastating impact on native wildlife. Since colonisation, more than 30 mammal species have gone extinct, with feral cats and foxes recognised as the primary drivers. Today, foxes continue to pose a serious threat to vulnerable species still holding on, including the spotted-tailed quoll, long-nosed potoroo, and the greater bilby.
Tilly’s Quest
Now fully-trained in fox den detection, Tilly’s next task is to reach as many sites as possible over the 2026 fox breeding season. To do this, Tilly and Friends of Vernon Conservation Park need your help!
How you can support Tilly:
- Join Friends of Vernon Conservation Park and learn from this dedicated group of volunteers about the project
- Make a donation to help fund Tilly’s fox den detection quest
- Contract Tilly to detect fox dens, with the profits going directly back into fox den detection and eradication.
To find out more about Tilly, contact Ted Johansen via email below.
