Tracking Dogs Arrived from the USA to Help With Poaching

A pack of trained tracking dogs have arrived from the US to help track poachers in Kruger.

If you see dogs running around Kruger do not be alerted, it is not your average family dog which found their way into the park but trained dogs which track poachers, they arrived from Texas last week.

A total of ten anti-poaching dogs arrived in South Africa last week to join the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) K9 unit in the KNP. The SAWC is based 10km west of the Kruger Park and it’s a non-profit organization which offers conservation education and training.

The dogs are a cross between Black and Tan Redbone breeds, in the US these types of dogs are trained to track humans for law enforcement purposes.

What makes this different to normal tracking dogs is that these pooches are not on leashes, but they are put in a pack and they are able to reach speeds of 40km/h and can cover 30km in only two hours, this is a great initiative as it reduces the tracking time for rangers because they follow them from the air instead of by foot. These dogs can also hold poachers at bay while waiting for the ranger’s  arrive.

This project was made possible by donations from Global Paws, IFAW, WWF South Africa, FlySAA Cargo and WWF Nedbank Green Trust.

Also read: Lions Kill Poacher on South African Game Reserve here.