Jacaranda FM recently raised over R570 000 to fight rhino poaching in South Africa, through a collaboration with The Parlotones, M-Net’s The Wild, and StopRhinoPoaching.com.

This money is being used to train tracker dogs that will assist in keeping South Africa’s rhinos safe.

The first two dogs, Russell and Toby, a pair of Belgian Mallanoirs have been trained at the Mechem Training Centre in Tswhane. This is combined with training in the bush to acclimatise them to their primary working environment.

After their official graduation today, the enthusiastic canines enthralled guests with their precision and skill; through demonstrations of tracking (training for this starting as young as 8 weeks of age). Toby and Russell dealt with confrontation and immobilization of poachers and showed off a breath-taking display of pulling a poacher from a moving vehicle. Russell and Toby were each awarded a medal and a Jacaranda FM / StopRhinoPoaching.com jacket.

The project, aims to train and deploy 10 tracker dogs in national and regional reserves this year. Their training will focus on the four key areas needed for effective on-the-ground support, viz. weapon detection, horn detection, tracking in the bush and hot scene intervention.

“This is the next step in Jacaranda’s continuous fight against rhino poaching. Through various interventions, fundraising initiatives and awareness campaigns, Jacaranda FM has managed to make significant strides against rhino poaching,” said Jacaranda’s marketing manager Jenny Griesel.

The dogs and their training are financed purely through the funds raised by Jacaranda through the initiative with M-Net’s The Wild, The Parlotones and StopRhinpPoaching.com.  To ensure their long term protection, insurance is provided by Lloyds of London, via Businessure.

Russell and Toby will be deployed in Pilanesberg and the Kruger National Park respectively.