Here’s Nico, an 8-month old Belgian Malinois Belgian Malinois pup, and Rory Hennebry the dog trainer. Rory Hennebry, a North Cork dog trainer, has been training dogs for over 20 years. Rory has been a trained dog trainer for over 20 years. He now devotes his time to the prevention of poaching endangered species.
The Elephant-Human Relations Aid in Namibia will eventually send Nico to Africa as an African tracker dog. Nico will use the skills he acquired in the North Cork Mountains to hunt down animal poachers within the Namib Desert.
In response to a request for information on the cost of a security dog from a wildlife conservation ranger in Africa who used Rory’s Munster Canine training business, Rory founded the K9 Wildlife Project last year, which produced and trained him to hunt down poachers.
Rory said: “I’ve worked training security dogs, police dogs, and military dogs for the last 23 and a half years, but since I was young I’ve been interested in wildlife and anti-poaching. We’re seriously committed to it.”
“I’ve been hearing about the plight of the rhino since I was six or seven. We’ve almost become desensitized to it, but it’s getting worse,” he said.
“I don’t want to think of my children growing up in a world without these beautiful species… and to be able to see the direct influence of the dogs, the difference they make is incredible.”
The first K9 Wildlife Project dog, the “fantastic” AK, a Belgian Malinois, was fully trained expressly to assist the Advisory Council for Combined Executive Security Service in Namibia with its efforts to combat poaching.
Rangers are fighting poachers of rhino and elephant horns. They have killed hundreds of threatened animals to get their horns. Ranger teams should carry firearms to ensure safety, as poaching groups can be well-armed.
Rory and AK were transferred to their new handlers in March. They then traveled to Namibia. AK learned how to spot human activity and trace unidentified traces in the Reserve. AK was a key player in deterring poachers, their detection and detention during his five-month stay.
“AK is doing fantastic,” he said, “where he works, it’s a huge area, incredible, it’s not just a small area, it takes four days to get from one end to the other.”
“There are different types of poaching, so say there could be people coming in to kill a springbok antelope, which wouldn’t be so bad, but the more they come in, the more accessible it is for poachers, so AK is trained to detect poaching and respond to incidents, he’s amazing.”
Little Nico will remain in the pawprints AK. He is currently undergoing training to be able to find and capture poachers of endangered species for the Elephant-Human Relations Aid Wildlife Conservation program.
Contrary to Mallow’s mountains and rivers, Rory will be living in the desert with his handler. He will also protect dozens of elephants against illegal poaching. However, Rory claimed that his dogs are “very hardy.”
“We do everything we can to prepare these dogs for their work, they enjoy working, Belgian Malinois is a breed that just loves to work.”
“And we teach the dog to deal with stress, primarily, the stress that they may be under when they’re in their new environment. It’s all new, new smell, new climate, new water, everything.”
“But the breed is very able for it, they’re perfect.”
Rory is ambitious for the future, even though he is only the second pup in the K9 Wildlife Project. Rory hopes to train three dogs per year to help wildlife conservation.
“It’s only been a year, really, but to see the difference that it is making already is amazing,” he said, “and we’re excited to see what is to come.”
SOURCE: CorkBeo
