Inside Africa

How these sniffer dogs can save elephants

By Eliza Anyangwe, for CNN
2 minute read
Updated 12:27 PM EDT, Wed August 12, 2015
This is Asja, a very social springer spaniel from Hungary. Will Powell, the director of AWF's Conservation Canine Program, describes her as having an explosive energy. Powell says the AWF chooses breeds that have incredible drive and powers of concentration, and an ability to keep working under a variety of conditions.
This is Asja, a very social springer spaniel from Hungary. Will Powell, the director of AWF's Conservation Canine Program, describes her as having an explosive energy. Powell says the AWF chooses breeds that have incredible drive and powers of concentration, and an ability to keep working under a variety of conditions.
African Wildlife Foundation
Kenya Wildlife Service ranger Erica Cheruiyot enjoys a playful moment with Asja. Erica and Asja will both be deployed to Mombasa, Kenya, where they will work both the seaport and airport.
Kenya Wildlife Service ranger Erica Cheruiyot enjoys a playful moment with Asja. Erica and Asja will both be deployed to Mombasa, Kenya, where they will work both the seaport and airport.
African Wildlife Foundation
The dogs are taught to search cars, trucks, luggage and buildings. Whenever they detect ivory, they are trained to sit or lay down, which indicates to their handler that ivory has been found.
The dogs are taught to search cars, trucks, luggage and buildings. Whenever they detect ivory, they are trained to sit or lay down, which indicates to their handler that ivory has been found.
African Wildlife Foundation
The AWF launched the canine program last year following a pilot project with Kenya Wildlife Service's Canine Detection Unit.
The AWF launched the canine program last year following a pilot project with Kenya Wildlife Service's Canine Detection Unit.
African Wildlife Foundation
Kenya Wildlife Service ranger-handler William Mariga takes a break with Diva, a female Malinois from Holland. Despite her name, Diva is the most obedient of all the recent dog graduates.
Kenya Wildlife Service ranger-handler William Mariga takes a break with Diva, a female Malinois from Holland. Despite her name, Diva is the most obedient of all the recent dog graduates.
African Wildlife Foundation
The program is as much about creating teaching handlers how to bond with their dogs as it is about training the canines. This is achieved through two months of intensive training.
The program is as much about creating teaching handlers how to bond with their dogs as it is about training the canines. This is achieved through two months of intensive training.
African Wildlife Foundation
The detection dogs are sourced from Europe where there is a strong culture of training dogs for police work.
The detection dogs are sourced from Europe where there is a strong culture of training dogs for police work.
African Wildlife Foundation
Handlers that demonstrated empathy for animals and a strong commitment to conservation were selected from the ranks of Kenya Wildlife Service and Tanzania's Wildlife Division to undergo training as part of AWF's Conservation Canine Program. Dogs first begin training with a dog toy, called a Kong, which has a neutral odor, before ivory is introduced. They then learn to detect small pieces of ivory, larger elephant tusks and even ivory dust.
Handlers that demonstrated empathy for animals and a strong commitment to conservation were selected from the ranks of Kenya Wildlife Service and Tanzania's Wildlife Division to undergo training as part of AWF's Conservation Canine Program. Dogs first begin training with a dog toy, called a Kong, which has a neutral odor, before ivory is introduced. They then learn to detect small pieces of ivory, larger elephant tusks and even ivory dust.
African Wildlife Foundation
Meet Africa's hero dogs
CNN  — 

In 1989, a rapid decline in the African elephant population spurred the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species to institute a worldwide ban on the trade of ivory. The ban has only done so much, and between 30,000 to 50,000 elephants are killed per year, according to wildlife charity Born Free.

Now, conservationists are employing a new tool in the fight to protect these vulnerable beasts: Dogs. The African Wildlife Foundation has teamed with Kenya and Tanzania to deploy ivory-sniffing canines to detect ivory in transit.

Sniffer grad school

The AWF is attempting to establish a kind of doggie Harvard in the continent, whereby they train, track and monitor detection dogs throughout Africa.

“We’re not simply training dogs and ‘gifting’ them to governments and groups, never to be heard from again, but working with them and their handlers, cradle to maturity,” says Kathleen Garrigan, a spokeswoman for AWF.

Recently, the AWF saw its first graduating class – eight dogs and 14 handlers from the Kenya Wildlife Service and Tanzania’s Wildlife Division. The group has already partnered with both organizations to install dogs at ports, in airports and at border crossings.

Teaching Kenya’s orphaned elephants to ‘go wild’

One advantage using dogs is that they’re extremely adaptable.

“Dogs can handle all sorts of temperatures,” says Will Powell, the director of AWF’s Conservation Canine Program in Arusha, Tanzania.

“The first couple of weeks we start early in the morning, go for long walks and ease them into the day.”

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