Huge success in catching poachers, thanks to the dog-unit

SKUKUZA – South Africa’s most successful poacher-catching canine, Killer, has already assisted to catch and arrest more than 15 poachers in the Kruger National Park.

Chosen for his focus and ferocity, the six-year-old Belgian malinois is the champion of the four-legged stars serving on the front lines of the vicious anti-poaching war. “He’s had very good success so far, he’s very good at human-scent tracking,” Mr Johan de Beer, kennel master at the Kruger canine unit, said.

De Beer added that despite his name, Killer is a gentle dog who is great at his job. “He bites, but we don’t use him that much to bite,” said De Beer. “He’s actually a very placid dog. He likes riding in a chopper, stuff like that, he’s quite adventurous.”

Since 2007 rhino poaching has increased rapidly every year in KNP. The Belgian malinois, or Belgian shepherd, has been recognised as a breed well suited for anti-poaching work, which requires fearless dogs that can withstand the scorching temperatures in the bush.

Independent conservationists and organisations have established the poaching statistics on standing on 710, since the beginning of the year, but it has not been confirmed by the Department of Environmental Affairs, who has the only official voice for statistics.
KNP anti-poaching unit in Skukuza now plan to boost the number of dogs from 29 to more than 40 by the end of the year. “The dogs are contributing to the huge success in catching poachers,” said De Beer, adding that the hunters, who are often trained gunmen from bordering Mozambique, have adapted their strategies to try to evade capture. “They got clever, they dropped chillies on the trail, but it didn’t work, the dogs still found them,” he smiled.

For those who knew Killer as a puppy, his fame does not come as a surprise. “He was a very active, mobile puppy,” said Killer’s breeder, Mr Henry Holsthyzen, of the Paramount Anti-Poaching and K9 Academy just outside Johannesburg. “That whole litter was just phenomenal, they had high drive, they had a natural ability to track, they had aggression. It was natural to pair them with KNP.”

The Belgian Malinois is used by military, police and private security organisations around the world, including US special forces. In 2011, a Belgian Malinois named Cairo was used in the operation to capture and kill Osama bin Laden.

This year, the breed has also enjoyed some stardom on the silver screen in Max, a movie about a dog deployed in Afghanistan.

Killer received 16 months’ training before being sent to KNP.  There he learned to identify scents, follow mock trails and how to attack.

Despite the dangers from armed poachers and poisonous snakes, Holsthyzen said he was proud that his dogs were playing their part in KNP’s battle to save its rhinos. “I see those dogs as my babies, especially Killer and those litters, I’ve raised them personally,” said Holsthyzen. “He’s contributing to society.”