On The Scent: Meet the Dogs Protecting 200 Rhinos

We're delighted to bring you the latest update from our K9 team this quarter!

As always, our handlers and their canine partners have been busy on the frontlines of conservation. Over the past three months, the team has responded to a 83 incidents of Human Wildlife Conflict and provided support in an additional 23 cases where their skills were crucial.

Our dedicated handlers of twelve certainly have their hands full, and that's not all! We're thrilled to announce the arrival of three brand new bloodhound pups Bedzer, Watson and Keena to the K9 anti-poaching unit. These future guardians will be trained to carry on the legacy of protecting Ol Pejeta's endangered wildlife.

With their incredible sense of smell and tracking abilities, these bloodhounds are destined to become anti-poaching heroes. Just like their predecessors, they'll undergo rigorous training in tracking, obedience, and scent hunting. We're happy to report that they're already showing tremendous progress with their skills in scent hunting, scent discrimination, and discipline developing beautifully!

Your continued support is essential. It allows us to provide comprehensive training, advanced equipment, and ongoing professional development for both our handlers and canine heroes. This ensures they remain in optimal health, well-trained, and prepared to tackle any challenge they may face in the field.

Thank you for being a part of our mission to achieve zero poaching on the Conservancy. Your generosity continues to make a measurable difference.

We’re thrilled to share you with an update from Ol Pejeta’s K9 unit.

Behind every successful dog is a skilled handler and our team is blessed with 12 who are the driving force behind our efforts to combat poaching and protect the invaluable wildlife on Ol Pejeta.

It’s been a busy period for the team, since October 2023 they have responded to 38 anti-poaching incidents, 42 human-wildlife conflict incidents and one intrusion on the conservancy. Each one of these incidents has been responded to by our incredible team which has seen them cover a distance of over 170km in the process. Our K9 dog’s remarkable hunting and detection abilities, coupled with an acute sense of smell, and exceptional speed means they can alert rangers to the presence of poachers up to a kilometre away, as well as locate concealed arms and ammunition. Instances like this underscore the indispensable role played by the ranger team and our K9 unit dogs in the protection of the wildlife that calls Ol Pejeta home.

In other news, on February 27^th 2024, our three tracking dogs – Sarah, Diego and Sugar will be celebrating their third birthday. Witnessing their journey has been nothing short of incredible as we've observed them grow, develop strong bonds with their handlers, and evolve into the successful working dogs they are today.

This milestone is also a poignant reminder of the impact of your unwavering support. Your contributions have facilitated extensive training, cutting-edge equipment, and ongoing professional development throughout the dog’s lives so far. This support has not only enhanced the proficiency and effectiveness of our K9 unit in anti-poaching operations but also ensured the physical and emotional well-being of our canine heroes.

Your donations support the costs of dog and handler training, kenneling, veterinary care, and nutritious food for our K9 unit. This ensures that our dogs remain in peak health and are ready for any challenges they may face in the field. Thank you for being an indispensable part of our journey. Your generosity is making a tangible difference in our mission to achieve zero poaching on the Conservancy.