Forty-five rhinos are safe thanks to a pack of dogs, trained to protect wildlife from poachers in South Africa.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himForty-five rhinos are safe thanks to a pack of dogs, trained to protect wildlife from poachers in South Africa. Hounds trained from birth are making a very important contribution to the conservation and protection of animals increasingly under attack such as rhinos, giraffes and elephants, just to name a few examples.
The hounds arrived at Kruger National Park in 2018 in support of the rich wildlife of Mozambique, it is no coincidence that the park itself is the largest rhino stronghold and for this reason, it is targeted by poachers who manage illegal trafficking in products derived from animals and exported to Asian countries. Some shots of Sean Viljoen tell of these dogs in action at the Southern African Wildlife College in Greater Kruger National Park. The hounds were trained by Johan van Straaten and have rescued 2018 rhinos since February 45
“Over the past decade, over 8 rhinos have been lost to poaching, and ours is the country most affected by this onslaught. In the patrol areas of Southern African Wildlife College, the dog success rate is around 68% using both free and leashed pursuit dogs, compared to 3-5% we would have without their help, ”explains Johan van Straaten. .
@SEAN VILJOEN
Dogs that are of various breeds, from hounds to beagles, play a vital role in monitoring, raiding, detecting and patrolling. “By running fast, they manage to chase the poachers and stop them from getting their job done,” says the trainer.
Posted by Southern African Wildlife College on Friday, May 8, 2020
We had already talked about these dogs, but now these official data arrive. Saving 45 rhinos is no small feat, and the project is helping to ensure the survival of southern Africa's rich biodiversity and wildlife. South Africa almost holds 80% of the rhino species.
Posted by National Pet Rescue on Wednesday, May 13, 2020
8 thousand rhinos have been killed between 2008 and 2018 both for their horn used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a hunting trophy and over the years, in China and Vietnam it has assumed the role of status symbol for the emerging social classes. For this reason, the black rhino has fully entered the list of endangered animals and according to estimates there are, in general, about 20 thousand white rhinos and just over 5 thousand black rhinos.
Posted by Southern African Wildlife College on Friday, May 8, 2020
“We start the training at six months and depending on their aptitude they are then directed to the operations. Icani learn to follow human traces and eventually allow us to stem the sad phenomenon of poaching ".
Sources: Pet Rescue Report
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