Wildlife Conservation South Africa Project #34530

Project Rhino K9 Unit: Defending African Wildlife

by African Conservation Trust

Project Rhino K9 Unit: Defending African Wildlife

Project Report | Dec 29, 2023
Happy Howlidays from the K9-Unit!

By Kira Macdougall | Project Rhino & African Conservation Trust

Image: Jeremy Kirkwood

Dear valued friends and supporters,

South Africa typically experiences a surge in crime and poaching incidents during the festive period, posing an increased threat to our wildlife and the wildlife rangers who protect them. Our dedicated team has been on the front lines, battling wildlife and other crimes alongside local police and response teams in the stunning Zululand landscape. Here is a brief update from the field.

From January to September 30, 2023, our K9 team has been relentless in their efforts, removing 1412 snares on patrols, responding to 57 emergency call-outs, apprehending 5 criminals, assisting in the arrest of 10 illegal immigrants, and recovering various weapons, including an illegal firearm (.375), fourteen .375 rounds of ammunition, 4 knives, and a carpenter saw. Our team has also successfully recovered stolen goods from two incidents and retrieved poached rhino horns from two vehicles. Since July, we’ve started documenting the animal carcasses we find during patrols, discovering 7 carcasses in three months (July, August, and September).

Simultaneously, the Zululand Anti-Poaching Wing has logged a total of 475 hours, including 21 call-outs for reactions and 141 routine patrol flights. During these operations, one poached rhino and three vulture poisoning sites were discovered. The ZAP-Wing played a crucial role in responding to a call-out involving dog poachers in a member reserve. Additionally, the ZAP-Wing’s contribution to rhino dehorning and collaring projects has significantly reduced helicopter time, ultimately cutting down the cost of these vital operations.

Devastatingly, KwaZulu-Natal continues to be a target for poachers. As of December 5th, a staggering 295 rhinos have been poached in the province’s reserves this year, with 29 rhinos falling victim in just 40 days. This marks a 20.9% increase from 2022 and a 189.2% surge from 2021.

As we reflect on these achievements and challenges, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support. Your contribution empowers our K9-Unit to make a real difference in the fight against wildlife crime, ensuring a safer, more secure future for our wildlife and the ecosystems they inhabit.

Wishing you a joyful and paw-some holiday season!

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Sep 4, 2023
Fighting poaching with the Project Rhino K9-Unit

By Kira Macdougall | Project Rhino & African Conservation Trust

"The current rhino poaching problem exhibits all the hallmarks of a medium-level guerrilla war, where small mobile groups oppose larger, less mobile defenders. The enemy, in this case, the poachers, receive some support from local communities and often have their own informer network within neighboring areas and law enforcement agencies (the police, judiciary, and game reserves). These poachers belong to either well-organized, well-equipped, and experienced syndicates or are independent wannabe poachers. Dealing with the former is more challenging than the latter."

This description by the Project Rhino K9-Unit manager underscores the gravity of the ongoing poaching crisis faced by KwaZulu-Natal wildlife parks and conservation areas. Recent statistics from our Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment reveal that, in the first six months of 2023, 231 rhinos were killed in South Africa, averaging 1.3 rhino deaths per day. Of these, 143 rhinos, representing over 60% of the total, were killed in KwaZulu-Natal Province, as poachers continue to target the province, provincial, and private game reserves.

In response to this ongoing crisis, the Project Rhino K9-Unit has remained steadfast in their mission to combat wildlife crime. Over the past three months, they have actively engaged in critical initiatives aimed at wildlife conservation and protection, including:

Rapid Response: The K9-Unit has maintained a high state of readiness, responding swiftly to threats. Their remarkable speed and agility have ensured effective responses to potential poaching incidents, minimizing risks to wildlife.

Supporting Local Law Enforcement: The K9-Unit works closely with local police services, security, and anti-poaching units, providing support in various crimes, from carjackings to armed robberies and missing persons cases.

Reserve Patrols and Poacher Deterrence: Throughout the last three months, the K9-Unit's presence has acted as a formidable deterrent to potential poachers. In a recent patrol, the team removed 28 snares in a single hour, contributing to the protection of wildlife. They also saved the life of an impala trapped in a snare.

Raising the Profile of Wildlife Rangers: Going beyond their operational duties, the K9-Unit is currently participating in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, competing in fitness and general knowledge challenges. They will soon join in the main event - a 21 km marathon in full uniform with backpacks weighing over 20 kg - standing in solidarity with 100 Ranger teams across Africa.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our GlobalGiving friends for supporting the K9-Unit over the past quarter. Your generous contributions have played a pivotal role in advancing wildlife conservation, poacher deterrence, rapid response, and crime prevention, and have made a significant impact in safeguarding our natural heritage.

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May 5, 2023
An Exciting New K9 & Ranger Unit

By Kira Macdougall | Project Rhino & African Conservation Trust

New recruits Dan & Handler (image by IFPCP)

Dear GlobalGiving friends

On average, one rhino is still poached every 16 hours. Most of the rhinos poached last year were killed in Namibia and South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal has been increasingly targeted.

But fortunately, there are some incredible organisations working to stop wildlife crime and we are proud to have partnered with the Cumbria Zoo Company, Dogs 4 Wildlife, Institute for Close Personal Protection (IFPCP), and Bonamanzi Game Reserve in a brand new Bonamanzi Ranger and K9 Unit. The Unit provides more boots and paws on the ground to help fight the area’s poaching pandemic.

On a recent trip to KwaZulu-Natal’s wildlife reserves, the Cumbria management team were shocked at the cruelty of poaching and snaring happening daily in our conservation areas. Project Rhino member Bonamanzi Game Reserve is one such reserve. With the Hluhluwe River running along its boundary, the reserve is vulnerable to incursions and has lost several animals to poaching and snaring, in particular giraffe. As our K9 manager describes,

“Snare poaching and increased incidents in KZN with rhino poaching has been devastating. There have been many more incidents and the death of several rhinos have been completely pointless as we have had rhinos shot that have been dehorned four months previously.

“The added increase in rangers at Bonamanzi means there have been an increase in snares being found which is really positive...”

The new Bonamanzi Unit includes two rangers and will have two K9s – one is a tracking and apprehension dog named Dan (Belgian Malinois) who is on site. When funding is secured, the second K9 will be Nkosi, a tracking, search and detection dog (Bavarian Mountain Hound). In a short amount of time, Dan and the new rangers have already proven their worth and impact in deterring bushmeat poachers and removing snares from the reserve.

In March, the Project Rhino and Bonamanzi K9 Units had a heart in mouth moment when they located an 18-month rhino calf named Viola caught in a snare. Viola's mother was also nearby and had to be sedated for safety reasons. Thankfully, due to the quick response of the K9 units, veterinary and helicopter assistance, both rhinos were saved. *Viola is named after actress Viola Davies, who was filming on location in KwaZulu-Natal at the time of her birth.

From January to December 2022, the Project Rhino K9-Unit removed more than 800 snares on daily patrols. Snare poaching is a cruel hunting method that does not discriminate on what species of animals it wounds or kills. We remain committed to our mission of stopping wildlife crime and the Project Rhino and Bonamanzi Units are striving to have zero incidents of snares being laid on their watch.

A huge thank you once again for your incredible support in helping to keep the Project Rhino K9-Unit operating and effective. We couldn’t do it without you!

Simulator training (Image by Anthony Kirkwood)

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