Tango K9 Anti Poaching Unit, Thorny Bush Nature Reserve

A K9 anti-poaching. Dedicated training multi-purpose K9 teams

The physiological abilities of these highly trained animals exceed what any technology can yet deliver. From cold spoor trailing of human scent to the detection of scent-specific contraband according to their training.

The K9 team is made up of a group of incredibly passionate and dedicated people, 5 multi-purpose K9’s and 3 dedicated trailing K9’s. The multi-purpose K9s are either Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepherd.

These breeds have proven to be the perfect all-rounders, displaying stamina when required and an enthusiastic work ethic.

The human-trailing specialists are from the Hound family.  Bloodhounds and Coonhounds are the preferred choices.

Funding is one of the biggest issues we are currently facing caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic, which has impacted South Africa’s international tourism sector.

Tourism funds much of the work we do and the ban on travellers and tourism operations have created a death of funding and donations to conservation efforts across South Africa as a high number of eco-tourism facilities are in or connected to a National Park or Game Reserve.

Compounding the problem is that many communities that surround the reserve previously relied solely on tourism as a source of income and jobs.

Due to the pandemic, there has been a devastating increase in unemployment and all the related stresses including the difficulty of providing food for their families.

This has resulted in a significant increase in not only rhino poaching but subsistence poaching and snaring, which has made the work of the K9 team all the more important.