A colony of a rare species of newts have been rehomed this week, thanks to the trusty hands of George Leslie site operatives in Melrose.

The Great Crested Newts were first discovered in 2016 hibernating outside of a water tank in the area.

Andrew Grant, Environmental Advisor at Scottish Water said: “We suspect they were attracted to the tank because their breeding ponds are nearby. The tank provided a refuge with a stable temperature over winter.

These newts are a protected species. This means before the works commence, a license must be provided by NatureScot and mitigation measures must be put in place to protect them and the locations where they may be hibernating, feeding, and breeding.

Neil Dickson, George Leslie Site Agent, said: “The Great Crested Newts are so rare to find. There are three kinds of newts’ native to the UK, this is one of them.

“Thanks to Paws for Conservation and their sniffer dogs Harley, Stig, and Flo, we were so lucky to find 28 of them, which we rehomed in designated locations.”

Paws for Conservation aim to utilise their dogs and expertise to the highest standard in wildlife detection dog handling and training to support conservation efforts, environmental research, and habitat management initiatives across the UK. 

Rachel Flavell, owner of Paws for Conservation, said: “The dogs have a much higher degree of accuracy – they can identify the newts’ scent and indicate to us mere humans where they are hiding in their refuge.

“Our dogs indicated five detections, three around the tank, and two on a neighbouring golf course.

“We are so proud of these dogs and everything they do to help conservation efforts during projects like these.”

Of course, employing dogs in this way doesn’t go without criticism. The sensitivity of the issue has caused likeminded companies to arrange a code of conduct to ensure the rare species are always provided with the utmost protection by all site operatives.

The project, completed by George Leslie on behalf of Scottish Water aims to put the safety of the amphibians before anything else.