Bloodhounds to track elephant poachers
Carla ('Miss Virunga') and Ranger Foster. Image- www.nosygirl.net
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park has trained five bloodhounds to help with anti-poaching efforts. Volunteers from the German Police and a specialist Swiss Centre helped to implement the program, and it is hoped that the new options open to the Park's rangers will help with anti-poaching operations.
The Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to a great diversity of wildlife including buffalo, okapi, chimpanzees, gorillas and forest elephants. It is currently protected by 300 rangers, who are charged with interdicting ivory poachers, illegal miners and combatants from rebel groups. Park officials have admitted that the park is 'heavily infiltrated'.
The dogs have already demonstrated how their unique skills can contribute to the ranger's mission. An incident on March 1st led to two of the dogs being deployed by helicopter and thereafter tracking a group of poachers for seven kilometres until the rangers caught up with them in a nearby fishing village. An exchange of gunfire ensured, and the poachers abandoned their weapons and fled. Commenting, the Park's Chief Warden Emmanuel de Merode said "We are extremely pleased with the outcome. After a year of intensive training, both the hounds and the rangers proved to be a very effective weapon against ivory poachers."
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