Rewarding K9 units for anti-poaching efforts
A TOTAL of 95% of the country’s poaching arrests were made with the help of tracker dogs.
That’s according to Johan de Beer, K9 Manager at the Kruger National Park of South African National Parks.
And to show the work of the clever canines, a five-part series called Making Contact was launched this week to celebrate anti-poaching K9 Units in the country’s nature reserves.
Dr Guy Fyvie, veterinary affairs manager at Hill’s Pet Nutrition – the company that created the series – said it not only recognised the amazing role that the dogs play in protecting our natural heritage, but also their incredible handlers. It is through their commitment to working with the dogs that has been making a real difference in the fight against poaching.
Fyvie said their focus at the moment was on Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife through Wildlife ACT, sponsoring the K9 units in their Hluhluweimfolozi and Mkuze Game Parks.
“After our first meeting with the chief veterinarian of the Kruger National Park, Dr Markus Hofmeyr, we discovered that they were looking for sponsorship of their rising canine unit. At the time, several rangers had been tracking using their own dogs in an effort against poaching.
“The partnership with Hill’s continued to grow and we have been supporting the K9 anti-poaching units with food, equipment, and healthcare since 2012,” said Fyvie.
The series tells the personal stories of five of the dogs and their handlers – the companionship, perseverance and connection between them and the important link with natural environments. It also raised awareness of the key organisations, protected areas and individuals on the ground that were working together to protect the country’s natural heritage.
The Hluhluwe imfolozi Park (HIP) was often referred to as the “birthplace of rhino”, as it was the area where the southern white rhino was saved from the brink of extinction, over half a century ago. Now, under threat from poaching, the park must continuously adopt methods to protect the species and ensure this crucial population was conserved into the future.
Dennis Kelly, Makhamisa Section Ranger at HIP, from Ezemvelo KZN, said: “The HIP K9 Unit was revamped in 2020, to form part of the new law enforcement systems put in place to combat the upsurge in rhino poaching which hit the province in 2012.
“At present, we have two handlers and two Doberman/bloodhounds breeds called Ghost and Gheko, who are classified as cold scent dogs with the ability to follow scents that are up to eight hours old. They are used in day-to-day reactions to follow rhino poaching suspects who have entered the park. There are further expansion plans in place to establish a detection unit for gates (to check vehicles and people for animal products and firearms) and to procure and train another two Hot Scent Belgian Malinois combinations, which can be put onto fresher tracks less than four hours old.”
The series can be viewed by visiting Making Contact: K9 Conservation Series | Hills Transforming Lives or visit www.makingcontact.co.za