ROCKY’S STORY

“On October 30th, 2018, rhino monitors in Zimbabwe’s Bubye Valley Conservancy came across the carcass of a black rhino cow killed by poachers. Her eight-month old calf was next to her body, still trying to nurse. The monitors called in a vet who attempted to ground dart the calf, but he was too nervous and ran away. Overnight, the calf returned to his mother’s carcass, on which lions were feeding. Early the next day, our team deployed a helicopter so a veterinarian could drug dart the calf and move him into a special hand-rearing facility. He had sustained numerous wounds from being attacked by the lions. Initially highly aggressive in the pens, this little fighter was named “Rocky.” But as soon as he was introduced to another orphaned rhino calf, Squirt, Rocky calmed down. For five months, our team treated Rocky’s injuries, nursed him back to health and eventually weaned him onto browse. Then, in April 2019, Rocky, Squirt, and three other black rhino orphans were released back into the wild, where all five are now thriving. Sadly Rocky’s story is not unique. 900 black and white rhinos were killed by poachers in Africa last year, nearly 1 every 10 hours. Orphaned rhino calves are a tragic by-product of the ongoing poaching crisis. Saving these calves depends on swift action - overnight, calves can become victims of predation because scavengers are attracted to the mother’s carcass. All orphans from rhino populations where we work are raised under a controlled system to minimize human habituation so they can be successfully returned to the wild. We work with local partners in Zimbabwe to track and monitor rhinos, treat injured animals, rehabilitate and return orphaned rhinos to the wild, move rhinos from high-risk areas to safer locations, and work with local communities to build support for rhino conservation.”

DOZER’S STORY

“K9 Ranger Dozer is a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois cross - a mix well known for their human tracking abilities and strength to apprehend dangerous poachers. He’s also one of the newest frontline soldiers in the fight to save Africa’s rhinos. IRF sponsored Dozer, a trained detection dog, in 2018 for Eswatini’s Big Game Parks. We also provide funding for Dozer’s food, supplies, veterinary care, and training for four dog handlers. Dozer and his handler share a special bond which makes them instrumental in anti- poaching and enforcement operations in Big Game Parks’ reserves, where no rhinos have been poached in five years. “Once, we were following up on a poaching group and the suspects had left the scene. We tracked them into the night, leading to an arrest. We put into practice everything that we learned in our training. The police we were working with were very impressed with us rangers and our dogs. We work as a team with the dogs and they are a big deterrence factor in keeping the poachers out of the reserve.” -Anonymous K9 handler In southern Africa, IRF has partnered with StopRhinoPoaching.com and the Southern African Wildlife College to provide dogs trained to track poachers by following their scent in the bush, protect handlers and rangers, detect ammunition (which poachers often stash prior to a poaching event) and locate the horns of poached rhinos at road blocks and security check points. Dogs use their superior senses of smell, hearing, eyesight, and agility to sense and do things that people can’t. As poachers become more lethally armed, dogs provide vital early warning and safety systems for rangers and handlers. Their keen sense of smell and ability to track over long distances, in some cases for up to 48 hours, make them invaluable. Establishing and maintaining successful K9 capability on a rhino reserve is no easy feat. First, trainers must choose the right puppies to train – confidence and a strong prey drive are important traits. The initial training takes 3-4 months and there are periodic refresher courses. Running a successful K9 unit also takes considerable insight and commitment from reserve management. The selection of handlers, construction of specialized kennel facilities (that keep snakes and leopards out), the provision of top-quality dog food, refresher training and vet bills all add up. Managers need to ensure that their rangers get enough time to clean kennels, exercise the dogs and train. A well-trained rhino dog and its handler are powerful weapons against wildlife crime and play an increasingly important role in African rhino anti-poaching efforts. Through the combination of well-trained field rangers and on-leash and free-running dogs, poaching arrests have increased by nearly 60%. By adopting a K9 Ranger like Dozer, you’re helping to support these critical K9 units and related anti-poaching programs in southern Africa.”

The Snohomish County Rhinos are proud to adopt Rocky and Dozer. Please consider doing the same with the International Rhino Foundation: