Here are Nico, an 8-month-old Belgian Malinois puppy, and dog trainer Rory Hennebry. In North Cork, Rory has trained dogs for more than 20 years. Rory has years of expertise training puppies to work in security and military capacities and has now shifted his focus to a cause that is dear to his heart: preventing poaching of endangered species.
The Elephant-Human Relations Aid in Namibia will eventually bring Nico to Africa as a tracker dog. Nico will hunt down animal poachers in the Namib desert using skills he learned in the North Cork mountains.
In response to a request for information on the cost of a security dog from a wildlife conservation ranger in Africa who used Rory’s Munster Canine training business, Rory founded the K9 Wildlife Project last year, which produced and trained him to hunt down poachers.
Rory said: “I’ve worked training security dogs, police dogs, and military dogs for the last 23 and a half years, but since I was young I’ve been interested in wildlife and anti-poaching. We’re seriously committed to it.”
“I’ve been hearing about the plight of the rhino since I was six or seven. We’ve almost become desensitized to it, but it’s getting worse,” he said.
“I don’t want to think of my children growing up in a world without these beautiful species… and to be able to see the direct influence of the dogs, the difference they make is incredible.”
The first K9 Wildlife Project dog, the “fantastic” AK, a Belgian Malinois, was fully trained expressly to assist the Advisory Council for Combined Executive Security Service in Namibia with its efforts to combat poaching.
Rangers are battling rhino and elephant poachers who have murdered hundreds of threatened animals for their horns, which are highly sought-after on the black market. Since the poaching groups may be well-armed, ranger teams must carry firearms for safety.
When Rory transferred AK to his new handler in March, they traveled to Namibia. AK learned to detect human activity and unidentified traces on the Reserve. During his five months there, AK has assisted in the detection, detention, and deterrence of poachers.
“AK is doing fantastic,” he said, “where he works, it’s a huge area, incredible, it’s not just a small area, it takes four days to get from one end to the other.”
“There are different types of poaching, so say there could be people coming in to kill a springbok antelope, which wouldn’t be so bad, but the more they come in, the more accessible it is for poachers, so AK is trained to detect poaching and respond to incidents, he’s amazing.”
Little Nico will continue in the pawprints of AK. For the Elephant-Human Relations Aid Wildlife Conservation program, he is currently receiving training to enable him to track down and capture poachers of endangered animals.
In contrast to the mountains and rivers of Mallow, he will live in the desert with his handler and defend dozens of elephants from illicit poaching. However, Rory claimed that his dogs are “very hardy.”
“We do everything we can to prepare these dogs for their work, they enjoy working, Belgian Malinois is a breed that just loves to work.”
“And we teach the dog to deal with stress, primarily, the stress that they may be under when they’re in their new environment. It’s all new, new smell, new climate, new water, everything.”
“But the breed is very able for it, they’re perfect.”
Rory has ambitious goals for the future, despite being only the second pup for the K9 Wildlife Project. His objective is to be able to train up to three dogs annually to protect wildlife.
“It’s only been a year, really, but to see the difference that it is making already is amazing,” he said, “and we’re excited to see what is to come.”
SOURCE: CorkBeo
