The dog squad – heroes of conservation!

• News & Highlights

They say that dogs are a man’s best friend, but they’re more than just loveable companions. The work of the dog squad at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya has not only helped to increase safety but has also led to four arrests and a drop in rhino poaching incidents to zero.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is one of the most established rhino conservancies in Kenya and rhino protection has always been at its core. The canine team plays a crucial role in protecting the black and white rhinos that call the Conservancy home.

Canine units have proven to be a highly effective tool in supporting anti-poaching efforts, owing to their excellent sense of smell. Thanks to this sensational skill, dogs can track scents over great distances, leading rangers and enforcement authorities to suspects, or helping them to understand routes used by poaching gangs. Dogs are also adept at detecting wildlife products, and many are stationed to ‘sniff out’ rhino horn at key locations, such as airports, park gates, or even in organised searches, finding and stopping wildlife traffickers in their tracks.