The Dogs That Fight Poaching In Africa

Safaris dedicated to hunting any animal continue to be a major problem for the planet. Thanks to this “sport”, many species are in danger of extinction. In this article, you will learn the story of dogs that fight poaching in Africa with the help of their powerful sense of smell.

Poaching in Africa

The authorities no longer know how to make hunting (which is already illegal) cease to exist. The old idea that man owns the planet has gone too far: millions of animals die every year at the hands of poachers. This is the reality in some parts of the African continent, where special safaris are organized for this purpose.

To prevent the illegal killing of wild animals such as elephants from getting worse, a group of Bloodhound dogs underwent special training. They use their refined sense of smell to track and identify hunters.

In Mugie, Kenya, groups of people armed with special rifles and shotguns explore the African savannah in search of the few elephants still alive. Many of them walk across the border into Somalia to enjoy this horrible activity. If we add to that the work of the traffickers, who for a handful of dollars offer the animals’ prey, the situation is alarming.

In the last decade, the population of elephants across Africa has declined by a third, thanks mainly to poaching. Every year, hunters kill about 35,000 specimens. Many do it for pure fun. Others, as a business: they sell ivory from their tusks in countries like China, where the material is considered a status symbol.

Corrupt governments, armed groups and lawless hunters are helping to accelerate the extinction of African elephants. That’s why  the fight to end this millionaire activity has turned into a real war.

Dogs that avoid poaching

Raising awareness of foreigners and residents has no effect. Much less create sanctions or tighten penalties. Education in Aboriginal communities was one of the first steps to prevent the problem from becoming irreparably worse.

Patrols were organized to issue alerts when identifying groups of hunters, the main routes of trafficking in elephant tusks were tracked and the ban on hunting and even physical punishment of those who practiced the activity was approved. Kenyan authorities allow park and reserve officials to kill hunters they find prowling the area, although this is not the ideal solution.

The park guide’s job is not to show the animals to tourists, much less to participate in organized and armed groups. They are looking for new techniques to protect native species. One of the most recent strategies is to train Bloodhound dogs to identify poachers.

Watchdogs in Kenya

In the Mugie Reserve in central Kenya, the first dogs are already on guard. With their developed sense of smell (much more than any other race), they are experts in following almost imperceptible trails for humans. The effectiveness is such that this initiative is being copied by other countries on the continent.

The problem is that the area of ​​the parks is so big that dogs often don’t make it in time. When they find the hunting ground, the hunter has been gone for several hours. Meanwhile, new furry ones are part of the park ranger service.

One of the greatest achievements of canine work was catching up with a group of smugglers after chasing them for 50 km. Criminals were arrested carrying a large volume of ivory.

The main purpose of relying on Bloodhound dogs is to deter poachers. And so far, canines have had very positive effects, as anyone who wants to kill animals in a park that has these dogs knows they can’t hide.