The use of dogs to assist in apprehending rhino poachers has been a “game changer” for the Kruger National Park leading to convictions in the past few years.

According to the park’s section ranger Kally Ubisi, the establishment of the K9 unit has led to a massive success in arrests.

Over the years the park has faced a decline in the population of rhino due to an increase in poaching. Ubisi said the use of dogs improved accuracy in catching poachers in a park that is 1,9485 million hectares big.

“When you track with a human eye, sometimes you make errors, but dogs work with scent. They will take you exactly where you need to go,” he said.

“In summer, you will not be able to know whether you are tracking a human being or a wild animal, but the dogs will track until the end and we finally get answers.”

He said extensive research and industry benchmarking led them to bringing the K9 unit to the park. Some 90% of the arrests were as a result of K9 involvement.

Ubisi shared an experience that highlighted the accuracy of a dog’s capability in tracking poachers.

“In one incident we were tracking a poacher and the dog kept leading us to an area, but when we arrived at the spot we could not see anything,” he said.

“We searched surrounding areas because some colleagues spoke about seeing signs somewhere else, but the dog kept pulling us to the same spot, until we found the guy. He was up in the tree at the same spot that the dog kept pointing out.”

In a recent case at Skukuza regional court, where two rangers of the Kruger National Park were accused of being involved in a rhino poaching incident, dogs also played a role in the gathering of evidence.

In August 2019 a dog search led investigators to a tent that was occupied by the pair while on evening duty. Upon searching, a rifle and ammunition – which were believed to have been involved in the killing of a rhino – were found.

Ubisi said the relationship between the dog and it’s handler was essential in ensuring successful arrests.

The dogs and handlers go for training and once trained they are paired accordingly.

“If the dog and the handler do not gel, there is chance the dog will not be able to follow instructions.”