A tale of Kruger’s beloved K9 hero, Killer

Killer was 11 years old and Johan de Beer, K9 manager, said he had been suffering from bad health and hip dysplasia. “Being in the constant pain that he was, it was just not fair to him.

“He was one of the first K9s the Kruger National Park (KNP) started using at the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012. He assisted in the apprehension of close to 200 poachers and was in contact with many more.

“Killer served the KNP up until about the end of last year when we decided not to deploy him as much anymore and let him rest a bit.”
Amos, Killer’s handler who retired early in his career, was with De Beer as they said their final goodbyes.

During the time they spent fighting rhino poaching, Killer was featured in the documentary STROOP: Journey Into the Rhino Horn War along with Amos; he made judicial history when the ability of a tracker dog was allowed to be portrayed by his handler in court and accepted as evidence; he won the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals’ (PDSA) Gold Medal in 2016; and he got to meet Prince Harry.

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Producers of STROOP: Journey Into the Rhino Horn War, Susan Scott and Bonné de Bod shared with Hazyview Herald some fond memories they have of working with Killer and Amos during the production of the documentary.

Scott said out of the many anti-poaching dogs they met, he really made an impression and that is why they decided to feature him in the documentary. His safeguarding of his handler was one thing that especially stood out for her.

“I had to mic Amos up for interviews, and when I would put the microphone on him, Killer would growl as I would touch the front of his camo webbing! Amos would laugh and click at him, saying, ‘Ah, no Killer. It’s okay!’

“He would quieten down, but would keep baring his teeth silently all the while looking at Amos with an unhappy look on his face. I smile now while thinking about that. They really had a tight bond.”

De Bod, in turn, chose to highlight a moment Amos had shared with her during one of their many interviews over the three years of filming.

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“He told me on numerous occasions that they were more than best friends, they were brothers. There is a beautiful shot that we show in the film, which highlights this bond perfectly.

“They were both sitting on a rock for a break during an anti-poaching patrol. Both were looking out into the vast Kruger wilderness area, ‘holding hands’. Amos was holding Killer’s paw… a silent communication of reassurance and contentment that only they shared.

“This bond was there from the beginning, Amos told me. He said they actually ‘spoke’ to each other. Killer would look at him and he would be able to know what he was thinking, and vice versa. When Amos made a body move, Killer knew beforehand and would move accordingly. How incredible is that?”

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Amos told her that this deep bond was cemented even further when Killer saved his life through this special communication.

“The two were on the spoor of a poaching gang in a rocky area of the park with Amos silently reading Killer’s behaviour, when all of a sudden Killer alerted him with a sign that Amos was in terrible danger.

“This prompted him to react promptly by falling down to the ground and taking cover. A shot was fired in the exact direction his head had been.

“Amos told me how the bullet ricocheted around the granite rocks and he lay there hugging Killer, silently telling him how grateful he was for saving his life.

“Amos said he was forever indebted to his ‘brother-in-arms’ for saving him. The famous saying ‘a man’s best friend’ was shown to me in a way I’ve never seen before.

As Amos will be forever grateful to Killer, I am forever grateful for the memories I have of them as a formidable team fighting for our rhinos.”

De Beer said Killer would be cremated and when they receive his remains, they will find a special place to lay him to rest.