With news reports surfacing this morning of yet another rhino been killed on a game farm in the North West, it is good to know that authorities are trying all kinds of methods to curb poaching. One such new weapon, employed by the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve for the first time yesterday, is Russell, a Belgian shepherd dog.

He “graduated” from Mechem in Centurion two weeks ago – a department in Denel which trains sniffer dogs – and reported for duty yesterday.

Russell’s handler, who did not want to be named for safety reasons, says their brief is to track down rhino poachers.

It takes 36 hours before a person’s smell disappears from a scene. When we hear gunshots or suspect that there are poachers in the reserve, Russell will track them down easily.”

[Source: News24]