Plane Used To Spot Dead Sheep By Hydatids Officer

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29324, 1 October 1960, Page 12

Plane Used To Spot Dead Sheep By Hydatids Officer

Dead sheep lying in paddocks, against stopbanks, and under gorse fences, were spotted from the air yesterday morning when the hydatids control officer of the Waimairi-Paparua district (Mr J. H. Charles) and a reporter of “The Press” made a low-level flight over parts of the two counties.

A Canterbury Aero Club aircraft flew about 1000 ft above sealevel, which, for much of the time, was equal to about 700 ft above the ground. At this height there was no difficulty in distinguishing dead sheep in unoccupied areas from other objects, although in paddocks where sheep were grazing and lying down, positive identification of carcases was not as certain.

In 45 minutes’ flying time more than 50 apparently dead sheep were seen. They appeared to have been dead for a considerable time, and the bodies were ringed with green grass untouched by other sheep. In another area two dead lambs had apparently been throwh into the side of a gorse fence. The aircraft flew from Harewood across to Coutts Island and down to the mouth of the Waimakariri river. From there it turned across country and followed the Styx river back, cross-

ing Harewood again and then moving over the light country at the back of Paparua to below Aylesbury. The next point to be sighted was Holleston. and the return flight was made parallel to the Main South road and over the Templeton district.

Preventing dogs from gaining access to raw offal is one of the major factors in the campaign to eradicate hydatids, and dead sheep are a dangerous source of reinfestation. Two farmers were fined this week in the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court for leaving dead sheep lying on their farms.

The use of an aircraft to spot dead sheep is a new approach in the hydatids campaign, and yesterday’s flight gave Mr Charles valuable information on the relative incidence of dead sheep left to decay in his area.

It is however, difficult to plot with accuracy the position of a suspected dead sheep on the map while trying to keep looking out for others, and an aerial inspection would need to be followed up on the ground to establish definite proof of the individual property.

Its main value lay in giving the control officer a quick appraisal of his district and an indicatio*n of the areas which needed closest attention, Mr Charles said. Then, when the campaign in the area had progressed to the stage where the officer believed a substantial improvement had been made, a further flight could give him confirmation.