DOG TRACKS A POACHER 4.5KM STRAIGHT TO HIS FRONT DOOR AFTER HE KILLED A WARTHOG IN ZIMBABWE

When it comes to exceptional dogs, this girl might be the very best.

Shinga, a Belgian Malinois bred and trained in the UK, tracked a poacher 4.5 km to his front door after an illegal warthog killing in Zimbabwe.

At just four years old, she is a specialist conservation dog deployed in the battle against wildlife crime and poaching.

Shinga received her training from ‘Dogs 4 Wildlife’ in Carmarthenshire, South Wales, before being sent to The Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservancy.

Last week, her K9 Unit received a radio call about poachers spotted near the Imire boundary, accompanied by a pack of hunting dogs.

The team quickly responded, but by the time they arrived, the poachers had already captured and killed a warthog before fleeing to the local community.

Shinga was deployed and, impressively, tracked one of the poachers for about 4.5 km back to their home.

There, the poacher was found alongside the dead warthog and arrested.

Darren Priddle, founder and director of Dogs 4 Wildlife, stated, “The warthog poaching incident highlights the importance of collaboration, partnership, teamwork, and dedication as the foundation for effective long-term conservation efforts. Our Specialist Conservation Dogs play a crucial role in the ongoing fight against wildlife crime.

“Shinga and the entire unit did an outstanding job in apprehending the poacher, and we are extremely proud of their efforts.”

Jacqui Law, co-founder and director of the nonprofit organization, added, “Thanks to the diligence of Imire’s teams on the ground, this incident had a positive outcome with the poacher being apprehended. However, this is just one of many heartbreaking cases of snare poaching happening across Africa.

“Snare poaching indiscriminately harms a variety of animal species. It’s a cruel method of capturing wildlife for bushmeat.”

Last year, Dan, another Dogs 4 Wildlife protégé, rescued an 18-month-old White Rhino calf from a poaching incident in South Africa.

The calf, named Viola, had been ensnared while her mother was nearby. The Project Rhino anti-poaching and K9 unit, along with Dan, spotted the distressed rhino and successfully rescued her.

Currently, there are 15 operational dogs deployed across four Southern African countries to combat illegal hunting and snare poaching.

These dogs have contributed to a reduction of up to 75 percent in poaching numbers in certain areas.