A truck of full of people approaches one of the gates inside the Singita Grumeti, situated adjacent to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
An armed officer orders the drive to pull over, and asks the passengers to disembark from the truck ready for what has become a routine check inside the more than 1,000 square kilometers ecosystem which is also is an integral part of the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem, the home of the Great Migration.
Quickly, Mgoye Lugatiri firmly holding a leach tied to his dog hops onto the truck and begins to search the vehicle hoping to get something.
A couple of minutes later, Mgoye disembarks from the truck and the vehicle is cleared to pass through the gate.
Mgoye and his dog stay put, waiting for another vehicle, hoping to detect bush meat and ivory.
This is part the drill and training that four canine dogs inside the Serengeti have been put through since their arrival in the country on September 10.
Spending over 16 hours on the plane from Virginia, a southeastern state in the United States to the Serengeti was quite a journey for the dogs named Radar (two years old), Tony (two and half years old), Popo (one year and half) and Dj (one year old).
But today, the four canines are ready to protect wildlife species that are on the verge of extinction inside the Serengeti ecosystem.
All four dogs (two chocolate lab mixes and two Belgian malanois) have been trained by Karin Wagemann from the American Society Canine Trainers who has also been hired by the Working Dogs for Conservation, in detecting ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, ammunition, bush meat and snares.
According to Karin, in the beginning, it wasn’t easy for the dogs to adapt to their new environment having travelled for long hours on a plan from the United States.
‘They were a little rough in the beginning barking at baboon and every other wild animal they came across, but within a week they got used to the new environment’, explains Karin, who has crafted a niche for dogs since 2012.
According to the trainer, each dog came from a rescue shelter in the US after they were abandoned by their owners.
Once they arrived in the country last month, each dog was assigned to 21 handlers as part of the training.
But after weeks of serious training and drills, the number of handlers trickled down to six.
‘We were looking for body fitness, confidence of handling a dog, a sharp thinker and someone who is fast in handling and getting used to such dogs’, says Karin.
As the expert trainer puts it, this was a rigorous training that exposed the handlers to the knowledge of how to care for, train and work the dogs.
‘At some point, one has to act like an idiot in getting used to the dog as each canine has their own traits and behaviors.
The dog expert who has a degree in Anthropology and a Master’s Degree in canine behavior says it requires a lot of teaching and training to fully understand the behavior and traits of such dogs.
‘The training also involves getting to understand dogs’ language and the way I see it, the six trainers really enjoyed it and have gotten used to the four dogs.
One the training come to an end, the dogs will be deployed in road blocks is anticipation that the dogs will play a vital law enforcement role in the conservation success of Singita Grumeti as well as the greater Serengeti Ecosystem.
According to Karin, the canine unit is also expected to increase the Singita Grumeti Fund’s ability to stop poaching.
Michael Kasanga, one of the dog handlers recalls how difficult it was getting used to the dogs.
Even though he keeps a number of dogs at his house, the 37-year old says it wasn’t easy acclimatizing to the canines.
‘They were so aggressive when we tried getting used to them, but I still managed because I was always eager to learn, he explains.
It took four days for Mayunga Paul, another handler to fully understand the dogs.
The 34-year old reveals the secret winning over the confidence of such animal.
‘It requires you to be mentally sharp and perform well, that is the only way the dogs will get used to you’, he says.
Today, each dog is used to each handler’s scent and they live together in the same house.
‘They have become part of us as we care for them, watch over their health and food…they are like our family’, he explains.
Even though poaching of bush meat is still rampant in the area, Mgoye who also heads the canine unit is confident that the unit will ultimately serve the purpose of identifying poaching cartels and fishing them out.
The canine unit which will be responsible for tracking and detecting ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, ammunition, bush meat and snares in the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem will be assisted by an armed Special Operations Group (SOG).
Special projects Head with Singita Grumeti Fund (SGF), Grant Burden explains that the fund had thought about establishing the canine unit after seeing what the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and the Honey Guide had done.
He says once the project goes live next month, the detection dogs will be deployed at vehicle checkpoints and at people’s homes as well.
‘Dogs have an incredible ability in detecting and tracking, probable 200 more receptors than that of a normal human being’, explains the SGF had of Special Projects.
He describes the canine unit as extremely specialized program and that for it to become successful; the fund had to get in touch with professionals.
He says once the project goes live next month, the detection dogs will be deployed at vehicle checkpoints and at people’s homes as well.
‘Dogs have an incredible ability in detecting and tracking, probably 200 more receptors than that of a normal human being’, explains the SGF head of Special Projects.
He describes the canine unit as an extremely specialized program and that for it to become successful; the fund had to get in touch with professionals.
The dogs went through extremely stringent and rigorous training because the expertise is well established in the US.
According to Burden, the four dogs are sufficient and efficient in deterring and deflecting poaching within the 1,700 square kilometers ecosystem which also includes the Ikorongo-Grumeti Game Reserve.
The SGF doesn’t foresee adding any other canine dogs in the program, and that its only focus at the moment was to strengthen collaboration with Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) and the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA).
He reveals that the fund had already drafted a Memorandum of Understanding with local security units and district councils in ensuring that the project becomes as success.
Burden is optimistic that the canine unit may run for the next 10 years only if the dogs stay health.
‘Maintaining such dogs is costly affair as it entails a 24 hours veterinary care, salary to the handlers and a dedicated vehicle that will be used to ferry the dogs and their handlers around during operations’, he says.
The dogs’ security is not a concern to the SGF’s Head of Special Projects as each SOG personnel is armed and the dogs never stay away from the handlers leashes, adding that the dogs kennel is a strictly controlled area.
By assisting in the detection and arrest of poachers trafficking wildlife contraband, Burden hopes the presence of the determined canines will deter potential poachers from picking up their weapons and entering the protected areas.
Tanzania has registered a 55 per cent decrease in poaching activities in 2016 compared to 2015, a new report released by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) last week says.
According to the findings, the Eastern Africa Region which lost almost 50 per cent of its elephant population to poaching in the last ten years has recorded a steady decline in the crime since its peak in 2011.
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