Corey says New Zealand is best at training dogs for such work and has had a dog conservation programme running for some time. "I'm pretty sure it was set up by Scott Theobold who set it up as a predator dog sort of thing, using dogs to find rats, stoats and cats and things."
Scott was a biodiversity ranger who died in a helicopter crash in Wanaka in October, last year.
"I spent a lot of time with him and with his pig hunting dogs, and saw how good they were, which is why I wanted to get a dog.
"Tamsin [Orr-Walker] at Kea Conservation Trust has got Catahoulas, and I was telling her I wanted to get a dog and train it." The Catahoula's full breed name is Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog and is a descendant of Native American dogs.
And along came Ajax, a Border Collie / Catahoula cross.
"He's got the fluff of a Border Collie and the size of a Catahoula, but he doesn't have the colouring of either."
His mother Lorraine remembers Corey's childhood love of animals.
"And birds. He would often bring injured birds home and we'd have to take them out to Dawne Morton [of Bird Rescue]. One day at the library, Corey had chosen his books and was waiting for his brother. An elderly lady noticed and said that every book your son has chosen is about animals. She said you need to foster that; you never know where it's going to lead. I have never forgotten that," says Lorraine.
The first documentary was funded and distributed by Loading Docs, Ajax the Kea Conservation Dog, directed by Michael Weatherall and produced by Cecilia Shand.
"The editor of Allen and Unwin saw that and rang me about making a book about us," says Corey.
Ajax the Kea Dog is a book about kea and the part he and Ajax play in their conservation. Corey is also a photographer so the book grew with the inclusion of many of Corey's pictures.
He plays down his photographic prowess.
"I just get to go places a lot of people don't get to go. It's something I enjoy." His Panasonic Lumix GH4 is his camera of choice in the bush.
"And I take a lot of landscape photos on my phone."
Corey's life in conservation is also well documented in his blogs.
Another book is possibly on the cards.
Corey's own job is changing, with less emphasis on kea and more on other areas of New Zealand wildlife. Kiwis, blue ducks, and the odd work with kea — "training people how to catch kea and band them".
"Sarah [Corey's wife] works for DoC as well so we've been taking turns working and looking after the kids [twins Leo and Zara]. It's working out pretty well."
Corey and his family don't get home to Whanganui very often, although they came home to meet his brother Brad's new baby and he intends to be back on Anzac weekend. He is also booked as guest speaker at this year's Whanganui Literary Festival — with Ajax — later in the year.
Corey doesn't seem to tire of talking about his interesting life and his conservation work.
"You work so much in your life, it's worth doing something you enjoy," he says. All the publicity he sees as a way to encourage other young people to get into his line of work. The documentaries, magazine stories, newspaper articles, radio interviews and the book have all been good for New Zealand's conservation work profile.
Ajax is slowing down and doesn't go out so often, but still relishes life in the wild with his boss. He has his own Facebook page and more than 1400 followers. He was an essential part of the wedding of Corey and Sarah in March last year.
Ajax the Kea Dog, a working dog's life in the high country by Corey Mosen with Nicola McCloy was released in October and is available at Paige's Book Gallery in Whanganui. They also stock a photographic book by Corey entitled The Kea. Corey's photos and Kea Conservation Trust information were published by Copy Press in 2014.
