Border Collie becomes a national park ranger and takes her job very seriously

Gracie is a Border Collie who works in Glacier National Park in Montana. Her adventure began in 2016, when the park staff faced some safety concerns. This was because some animals, including mountain goats and bighorn sheep, were coming dangerously close to road traffic areas. Something had to be done urgently.

The Natural Resources Program Director offered the help of his dog

Park staff met and brainstormed solutions to keep the park animals safe, as well as visitors on the trails. That's when Mark Biel, the natural resources program manager, thought his Border Collie might be helpful.

As a sheepdog, all Gracie needed was a good bit of training to learn how to herd cattle. This idea was approved by the entire team, and the dog began a 10-week training course.

Gracie immediately understood her mission

After the training, Gracie took her job. Unexpectedly, she immediately understood what she had to do. It took her only one minute to herd a group of 6 bighorn sheep away from a parking lot on her first working day. Her owner was very proud of her. Weighing only 50 lb, she had not been afraid to face this small herd and had carried out her mission perfectly.

The Border Collie also makes visitors respect the rules

Gracie has been ensuring security in the park for over 6 years. She also has other little missions. For example, she reminds the visitors who are a little too curious that they should keep a certain distance from the wild animals.

"If it were just me out there trying to keep people away from wildlife, they might look at me and ignore me…But with Gracie, she's an attraction. So when I have her I find that people definitely do listen," Mark Biel told Daily Paws.

Source: Daily Paws

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