Dadu was stranded on one of the most remote islands in the world for almost a year, surviving thanks to an unexpected food source: sharks.
Located in one of the most secluded corners of the central Pacific is a small, uninhabited coral atoll named Palmyra. Comprising 50 small islands at an elevation of no more than 2 meters, the U-shaped coral atoll is surrounded by 6,475 hectares of shallow and submerged reefs, situated 1,600 kilometers south of the Hawaiian Islands. With more sharks than humans, Palmyra is not an ideal home for dogs. However, for nearly two decades, a short-haired dog named Dadu lived on the island alongside scientists, residents, and short-term visitors, according to IFL Science.
Dadu is famous for its shark-hunting skills on Palmyra Island. (Photo: Nature Conservancy).
Dadu was brought to Palmyra by a French sailor named Roger Lextrait, who managed and oversaw the island from 1992 to 1999. During his stay, Lextrait kept company with a few dogs. At one point, for some reason, Lextrait left the island and left the dogs behind for nearly a year. Dadu was forced to roam the island looking for food around the lagoons, where there were many reef sharks.
Alex Wegmann, a scientist with the Nature Conservancy, recounted Dadu’s shark-hunting abilities. According to him, the dog had several bite marks on its legs from sharks. During a trip to Palmyra in 2004 to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dadu frequently greeted him, accompanying him throughout his research. Dadu’s role on the island highlighted issues of conservation and the impact of humans on remote areas.
About 70 million years ago, underwater volcanoes formed Palmyra and the nearby Line Islands, providing habitats for marine animals and birds. Scientists and explorers regularly visit Palmyra and many nearby atolls to catalog flora and fauna. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the island was heavily impacted by human activity.
Kydd Pollock, a scientist who began working on Palmyra in 2008, noted that one of the biggest impacts on the island was the planting of Cocos nucifera palmyrensis coconut trees. Due to their efficient water absorption during droughts, this coconut species competes with native plants, including tall canopy trees used by migratory seabirds. During World War II, soldiers brought rats to the island, disrupting the terrestrial ecosystem and native wildlife.
Wegmann’s research primarily focused on the interactions between rats and local species such as land crabs. Despite undergoing various impacts, Palmyra was designated as a protected area in 2009 and now serves as a living laboratory in the equatorial region.
According to Pollock and Wegmann, in its later years, Dadu still enjoyed eating fish. It also maintained a friendship with Rambo, a giant moray eel. Every evening, Dadu would go down to the water’s edge and bark loudly. Rambo would surface and wag its tail, driving Dadu wild with excitement. The Coral Atoll Research Alliance announced Dadu’s death on October 19, 2013. It and the other dogs were buried on the island.
