The world has lost more than half of its wildlife over the past 40 years. And a very visible part of that loss is a result of poaching. As we’ve previously reported, poachers killed 23,000 African elephants in 2013 for their ivory. In that same year, poachers slaughtered more than 1,000 rhinos in South Africa alone, including more than 600 in the famous Kruger National Park. It should not be surprising that three of INTERPOL’s nine most wanted environmental crime fugitives are accused of ivory-related crimes.
To help turn the tide on the poachers, conservation organizations in Africa have found an effective weapon in an unlikely source: tracking dogs. These dogs are able to identify human scent at the scene of a poaching, and are capable of tracking suspected poachers for hours through extreme conditions.
In Tanzania, it’s all paws on deck against poachers. One of those conservation organizations – The Big Life Foundation in Tanzania – has a fleet of German Shepherds. Recently, these canines tracked down a group of armed poachers after they killed a well-known elephant bull just outside Tarangire National Park. Without dogs, many anti-poaching operations simply end with the discovery of the carcass. But in this case, six suspects are now in custody.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, bloodhounds are assisting in the fight against poaching in Virunga National Park. And in South Africa, Weimaraner and Malinois dogs are tracking poachers in and around Kruger National Park. These are just a few of the examples.
You can help support the fight against poaching. Please visit the African Wildlife Foundation’s webpage at awf.org to find out how you can help make a difference. All paws on deck against poaching should include our own.
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Web Links
Anti-poaching ‘war’ to save rhinos whose horns are more valuable than gold
INTERPOL Asks Public to Help Nab Environmental Crime Fugitives
Photo, posted August 26, 2011, courtesy of Chris Parker via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.