display
Dresden (dpa / sn) - In the fight against African swine fever (ASP), Saxony will rely on special detection dogs in the next few weeks.
The carcass testing dogs are supposed to help track down infected and dead wild boars, the Ministry of Social Affairs announced on Thursday.
The dogs are four trained dog teams from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which are also to be used in areas that are difficult to access, such as mining areas and pond landscapes.
Especially with rising temperatures and growing vegetation, it becomes more difficult to find carcasses, it said.
Sick boars preferred to hide in the thicket.
According to the information, the use of a cadaver dog replaces around ten game hunters.
"We have to find and rescue the infected wild boar carcasses as quickly as possible, because the more dead animals are in the forest, on meadows and fields, the longer the virus can survive and spread," said Minister of Social Affairs Petra Köpping (SPD).
Drones are also to be used more in the fight against swine fever.
Because there are only a few dogs in Germany specially trained for wild boar carcasses, Saxony wants to train its own dog teams.
The preparations were under way, it was said.
To this end, the Ministry wants to set up training courses for carcass experiment dogs together with the Sachsenforst and the hunting associations.
Private dog handlers with suitable dogs can be trained.
According to the ministry, interest can currently be expressed through the State Hunting Association.
display
131 swine fever cases are currently known and confirmed in Saxony.
ASF is a contagious disease in pigs that is almost always fatal.
It can be transferred to other areas directly from animal to animal or indirectly via contaminated objects such as clothing, food that has been disposed of in nature, and fodder.
ASP is harmless to humans.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210422-99-310539 / 3