Healthy huskies will not be killed

Press, 31 January 1986, Page 1

Healthy huskies will not be killed

The 16 huskies of Scott Base were never destined to be lined up and killed, said the director of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Antarctic Division, Mr Bob Thomson, last evening. He was commenting on a report from Wellington that the director-general of the D.S.I.R. Dr A. J. Ellis, had said it had now been decided to let the huskies “run down through natural attrition.” “Nothing has changed,” said Mr Thomson. "As I’ve said all along, the huskies will be phased out over the next few years. Some will have to be put down as they become aged, or injured, or show signs of sickness.” The Wellington report said an alternative diet

would be worked out by D.S.I.R. scientists so the huskies would no longer have to be fed from the depleted seal colonies.

“Just about every possible alternative diet has already been tried, not only by us but by very experienced husky workers in the northern hemisphere,” said Mr Thomson.

“The answer has been the same every time — there’s no satisfactory alternative diet for the dogs.” Mr Thomson said he had fought to retain the dogs for the last 20 years, but the decision had finally been made by the director-general that they would have to go.

The division had been criticised by conservationists and scientists for kill-

ing indigenous seals to feed the introduced huskies. Figures showed that the local seal population had declined significantly. In addition in the mid--1970s it was discovered that the dogs were becoming in-bred, and cases of congenital rickets, heart failure and hair loss were now widespread, said Mr Thomson.

It had not been an easy decision to phase out the dogs. “But I can assure you the final phasing-out over the next two or three years will be conducted in such a way as to minimise the impact on personnel at Scott Base, and as humanely as possible for the dogs themselves,” he said.