A Dog with an Important Job

Pangolins, or Scaly Anteaters, are one of the most heavily poached mammals in the world and amongst the most trafficked on the continent, with researchers suggesting that African pangolins could be extinct within the next 20 years if urgent action isn’t taken.

Pangolins are considered “ghost animals” because of their solitary nature – very rarely seen in the wild – but are also revered as totems of good luck and bringers of rain! They’re also unfortunately critically endangered due to trafficking.

An organisation working on the front line in the war against poaching is the African Pangolin Working Group (APWG) and one of the key members of their team is Africa’s first pangolin-detection dog. Havoc, a Belgian Malinois, is an anti-poaching working dog in their K9 unit who has been trained to detect the scent of both the faeces and scales of all four pangolin species.

Havoc has undergone extensive training and is often recruited to locate pangolins being smuggled in luggage at airports. He, and his full-time handler, are deployed nationwide when required as the K9 Pangolin Counter-Poaching Unit and APWG are in the process of training a second dog to join the team.

‘Our people are all passionate about pangolins. Whether they are researchers, hands-on wildlife experts or experienced rehabilitators, they are all dedicated to the struggle to stop a species extinction’ says the APWG website.

To learn more about pangolins, to get involved or to donate towards Havoc and the incredible team working to save a species, click here.

Photo Credit: APWG / Getaway Magazine / Times Live