Innovative conservation since 1903
UPDATE MAY 2014 NO. 23
The newsletter of Fauna & Flora International www.fauna-flora.org/update
Anti-poaching dogs and handlers receive training at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya
CREDIT: THOMAS AVELING
Canine army set to protect endangered species in Africa Several thousand years ago, wolves shadowing human settlements started their transition to domestic dogs. Since then, humans have used dogs to survive and thrive in a range of environments, while dogs have used humans to colonise the world. Now we are drawing on our canine partners to help other species survive. 1,004 rhinos were poached in South Africa alone in 2013, three times the number in 2012. Across central Africa, 62% of forest elephants have disappeared over a decade and protected areas are upgrading their security dramatically to counteract the involvement of organised crime. Enter the bloodhound and Belgian malinois. At Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, eleven adolescent pups and their handlers are being trained to operate silently, at any hour of the day or night and across all terrain. A well-trained and well-maintained multi-purpose dog working with a skilled handler can do the work of a 70man search team – speedily finding the scene
of the crime and immediately moving to track down poachers and disarm them. On a recent trip to the conservancy, Fauna & Flora International’s (FFI) Ros Aveling watched an attack dog, Tarzan, in training and immediately understood the meaning of ‘disarm’. A stand-in poacher wearing arm protection was his target and Tarzan knew it, straining at his leash, panting hard and keen to get to work on that forearm. But what of the bloodhounds? Beloved breed of crime writers, trained bloodhounds are also at work across Africa, helping to tackle a resurgence in the poaching of high-value species. We mere humans have not been able to replicate the bloodhound nose, despite all our brainpower and technology. At the current rate of loss, rhinos could be extinct in the wild within a decade. FFI is a founding member of United for Wildlife (see page 6), and
the collaboration is scaling up protection of remaining populations in situ as well as working to reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products, particularly across Asia. To try and stop these products entering the illegal market in the first place, we are using approaches both new and old, from high-tech measures such as purpose-built drones to the decidedly low tech – the skilled and sensitive nose of man’s best friend. Working with our partners Ol Pejeta Conservancy and White Paw Professional Dog Training, FFI is focused on a 10-year plan for these effective canine defence units. As part of the fundraising effort, White Paw is putting together an auction of artworks and other prizes, including rhino ‘doodles’ by FFI vice-president Stephen Fry and South African golfing legend Gary Player. Keep an eye on the FFI website for updates over the coming weeks, or visit www.bit.ly/white-paw.