On 3 July 2018, the first of 10 new counter-poaching dogs arrived in South Africa from Texas to join a highly motivated K9 Unit at the Southern African Wildlife College. Once settled and accustomed to their new handlers, they will be deployed in counter-poaching operations in the Greater Kruger area.
While on-leash tracker dogs are commonly used by counter-poaching teams, pack dogs that run off leash are relatively new to the scene, but already proving their worth. They can track at high speeds over even the most difficult terrain; recent exercises have seen them cover 30 kilometers in two hours. Using aerial support to follow the dogs allows the rangers to catch up valuable time in the field.
Their top speeds, measured regularly over short distances, are around 40 kilometers per hour!
The Ivan Carter Wildlife Conservation Alliance, and its donors, have provided valuable support for the transport and ongoing expenses of this valuable pack of hounds in the USA.
Global Paws assisted with the permit applications, paid the dogs’ handling fees and were present when the dogs arrive.
South African Airways Cargo flew the dogs to South Africa.
Next, the dogs will travel to the College's K9 Unit, which was established in 2015, thanks to a catalytic three-year grant from the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, which provided much needed support to get the K9 Unit operational. Further assistance generously provided by the International Fund for Animal Welfare helps support the unit's increasing running costs.
"We are incredibly excited to be working with these dogs. Our early successes with free-running pack dogs have shown us how effective they are in the field," said the College CEO, Theresa Sowry.
These dogs are also trained in apprehension work and will actively help rangers stop poachers in their tracks.
"When I found out what is really going on in southern Africa – how serious and destructive the poaching crisis is – I thought, if I can do something to help, I'm going to do it," said Texas houndsman Joe Braman.
Adding tracker dogs to the field ranger teams has really changed the game, but as their successes increase, so to do the risks they face. This is why the College needs ongoing support, most immediately for security upgrades for these valuable, hard working dogs.
If you would like to donate to the College's K9 Unit via direct deposit, please use the following banking details:
Standard Bank account name: SAWC – Tracker Dog Unit Account number: 330451995 Account type: business current account Branch name: Hoedspruit Branch code: 052752 Date opened: 2015-07-14 Registration number: 1996/005726/08
