Three more K9 warriors to join anti-poaching ranks
The SANParks Honorary Rangers has purchased three new dogs for the Kruger National Park (KNP) K9 Unit. These future heroes are expected to be deployed in the KNP in March.
These dogs have been called game changers in the anti-poaching fight. Dobermann/bloodhound crosses strongly feature specifically for this role.
Recently, in the Crocodile Bridge area, one of these canines caused six successful arrests.
According to Mandi Malan, K9 duty coordinator of the K9 Watchdog Project, the dog caught three suspected poachers on a Friday after starting to follow their spoor at 07:00 and making contact at 17:00. After 10 hours of gruelling work, the K9 team finally reached and arrested the three suspects.
Again, on the following Sunday, this team had further success, and arrested another three suspected poachers. On both occasions weapons were confiscated and backpacks retrieved as evidence.
The dogs that are expected to arrive in March are all Dobermann/bloodhound crosses. The cost of each one ranges between R75 000 and R85 000, including a satellite collar. Added to that is food, equipment and medical expenses, to keep these dogs in top shape.
One canine hails from K9 Paramout Solutions. Malan said the company will also be sponsoring another dog to the Kruger soon.
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The second Dobermann/bloodhound cross will come from the Institute for Personal Close Protection and the third one from Canine Security.
“Our fundraising projects and donors make it possible to ensure that the canines operate at their full ability and have a massive impact on the daily fight against wildlife poaching,” said Malan.
One of these dogs, named Bentley-Asnah, has already visited the KNP for a two-day training programme before returning to Rustenburg to complete the last month of his training. He will then be based at the Pretoriuskop outpost.
The name Bentley was his birth name, and Asnah was chosen by Airliner4Animals (A4A) after asking for suggestions from its donors. There are three meanings of “Asnah”: Lufthansa’s last five letters spelled backwards, a Hebrew baby name meaning “thorn bush” and Hansa beer spelled backwards.
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A4A is a group of airline personnel based in Germany that contributes towards animals in need throughout the world. Since 2017, it has contributed a substantial amount towards the SANParks Kruger K9 project. The Pretoria Region of SANParks Honorary Rangers said it is proudly associated with A4A.
“They make a huge difference with their support and we hope to have their continued support for the K9 Project Watchdog for many years to come.”
