The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Canine Conservation Unit marks World Rhino Day today with the continued deployment of dogs in conservation areas to combat the poaching of the iconic species.
World Rhino Day is commemorated annually to raise awareness of the plight of the species, which has faced a poaching onslaught for more than a decade. South Africa is home to an estimated 79% of the world’s rhino population, of which approximately 2,056 Black Rhino and 12,968 White Rhino are privately-owned. Since 2008, over 8,000 rhinos have been poached in the country.
South Africa’s Black Rhino are listed as Critically Endangered and the White Rhino as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Their biggest threat is the illegal wildlife trade.
The EWT’s Canine Conservation Unit (CCU) is a special project established to support conservation through scent detection and tracking dog services. Our conservation canines are among the only certified wildlife detection dogs and are specially trained to fulfil two critical roles. Firstly, to support anti-poaching initiatives in game reserves using tracking and detection dogs, and secondly, to detect wildlife contraband before it is smuggled out of the country.
The EWT’s anti-poaching dogs are trained to track people, locate snares, find arms and ammunition, and help with the detection of spent cartridges at crime scenes. Our detection dogs are capable of detecting specific threatened plant and animal products as well as poisons and thus have a wide range of conservation applications.
The EWT lead in the use of wildlife detection dogs as early as 2012, with the deployment of Rico, a Belgian Malinois wildlife sniffer dog, at the O R Tambo International Airport’s baggage and cargo sections. This member of the EWT pack was deployed to sniff out rhino horn, ivory, abalone and other wildlife products.
The North West Province is a stronghold for Black and White Rhino conservation during these difficult days of declining national populations. With the support of funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we are assisting the provincial authorities to prevent poaching and grow their rhino populations for the species’ long-term survival by using cutting-edge technology to track rhinos remotely. This information informs the deployment of anti-poaching field rangers and provides valuable ecological information for the management of rhinos. In the past year, we have also upgraded the Sigfox network in Pilanesberg, ensuring total coverage of this rhino stronghold, thus improving anti-poaching activities through the live tracking of rhino.
The EWT is also utilising real-time camera technology to strengthen surveillance of roads, fence lines and reserve areas to aid in the detection of poacher incursions.
The deployment of an EWT conservation canine and handler team to detect wildlife contraband and to track poachers in Pilanesberg has provided an additional layer of security.
Our conservation canines are stationed at reserve gates, screening vehicles for illegal wildlife products like ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, and ammunition. Since 2012, the EWT’s Conservation Canine unit has been a vital part of wildlife protection in reserves across South Africa. Focused on preventing illegal firearms from entering protected areas, our dogs have also been instrumental in stopping wildlife crime. Our canines have frequently been used to locate illegal arms and ammunitions and this year alone, one of our conservation canines flagged a suspicious vehicle, leading to the discovery of hidden rifles and the successful arrest of the suspects.
The Conservation Canine Unit team will continue to assist Pilanesberg management and having our scent detection dog, Remi, at the gate, deters poachers from bringing weapons into the reserve, and prevents the transportation of illegal wildlife products out of the reserve if they have succeeded in poaching an animal. The team currently search up to 60 vehicles in a day.
Tracking dog, Ruger, is specifically used to patrol fences and follow tracks of poachers when reserve boundaries have been breached. A key role for Ruger is to assist anti-poaching security to determine entry and exit points and routes taken by poachers, which is critical in guiding optimal placement of field rangers.
In the nearby Madikwe Nature Reserve, the EWT has provided cutting-edge night vision scopes to the two canine teams, giving them an important strategic advantage during anti-poaching patrols. We have also funded the installation of additional License Plate Recognition cameras at prominent intersections around the reserve. Any vehicles passing through these intersections with previous criminal ties will be flagged, with notifications sent to local law enforcement, as well as the North West Parks Board anti-poaching operations centre housed at Madikwe.
Combatting rhino poaching requires a coordinated, multi-pronged approach, the cost of which can be prohibitive in some situations. We are confident that our support to the North West Parks Board is having a tangible conservation impact, echoed by the reduction in reported poaching incidents in the province.
We extend our gratitude to our key partners, including Genesis K9, Royal Canin, and MSD Health, whose invaluable support helps ensure the continued success of our Canine Conservation Unit. Their contributions play a crucial role in strengthening our efforts to combat wildlife crime and protect endangered species.
