Together with the Zululand Conservation Trust and Zululand Rhino Orphanage (where one of our dogs is stationed for extra protection), under Q1, our team in South Africa was part of releasing 6 rehabilitated rhino orphans back into the wild.
The babies all lost their mothers because of poaching and wouldn’t have survived on their own. Our anti-poaching team stayed active and extra vigilant during the full moon period, as they received information that rhino poaching syndicates were moving towards the area.
Our dogs and dog handlers stayed active and extra vigilant during the full moon period, as they received information that suspected poachers were moving towards the area. The full moon is an especially dangerous time as poachers take advantage of the natural light to hunt at night, not needing flashlights that could otherwise reveal them.
To be prepared, our dog patrol spends a lot of time training in night tracking. In the picture, one of our dogs is seen together with a drone equipped with a thermal camera that the team uses to identify and follow suspected activity in the dark. We are proud that the team made two arrests during Q1 in connection with the full moon!
The ranger team completed their quarterly fitness and firearms assessments and showed progression. The unit also made an arrest during the full moon, apprehending two poachers who entered the reserve.
