The third quarter saw the successful completion of the Tracking Dog Handler Course, a four-week programme aimed at equipping participants with essential skills in dog handling, tracking, and operational response. The course, held at the Southern African Wildlife College, welcomed five dedicated students: three from Eswatini and two from South Africa. Throughout the intensive programme,...Read More
By Johan Van Straaten – Dog Master The last quarter of the year has included a few highlights for the team but the most exciting news is that we can officially announce that the Skukuza satellite unit has finally opened, with more than half of our operational dogs being moved there. This will be a game...Read More
The Power of the Pack or is it the Schnoz… By : Johan van Straaten – Head Trainer of the K9 Unit (Dog Master)Although canines are one of the oldest tools used in the art of detection and tracking, they are still proving, without a doubt, to be the most effective. As head trainer or...Read More
We are so excited to let you know that we have reached our K9 medical aid campaign target. This is thanks to all the donors who contributed either directly or via GivenGain as champions of our K9 Unit. Designed to raise funds for medical aid cover on all the dogs at the K9 unit, the campaign...Read More
Last year the world changed. Our daily lives were thrown out of routine and we were presented with a situation that forced us to look at all funding opportunities. The Wildlife College is still only able to operate at 50% of its training capacity given the need for social distancing both in the classrooms and...Read More
The SAWC’s K9 unit is one of the most innovative and successful applied learning projects in Africa. Its anti-poaching successes on the ground have increased exponentially in recent years largely due to the four-tiered approach adopted to test best practice. This includes rangers, dogs, aerial support and community engagement.In supporting rangers on the ground, the...Read More
The SAWC’s K9 unit is one of the most innovative and successful applied learning projects in Africa. Its anti-poaching successes on the ground have increased exponentially in recent years largely due to the four-tiered approach adopted to test best practice. This includes rangers, dogs, aerial support and community engagement.In supporting rangers on the ground, the...Read More
Strasburg, VA – The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) announced today a $100,000 grant to the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) to support training and anti-poaching operations to protect rhinos in the wild. The SAWC provides training to natural resource managers from across Africa. As part of its applied learning approach, the SAWC also directly operates...Read More
As we welcome in the month of May 2020 and whilst most are stilled locked away in their houses, the K9 Unit is still working full steam ahead by training, maintaining and preparing all our dogs and teams to be deployed onto the front lines. Being part of mandated essential services and seeing how life...Read More
