Carmarthenshire dog helps save rhino named after Viola Davis

Dan is an anti-poaching dog that was trained by Dogs 4 Wildlife in Carmarthenshire. He was deployed to KwaZulu Natal in February to work as an anti-poaching dog, with the job of finding snares set by rhino poachers.

He was successful in his mission, saving the life of a white rhino calf that was born on location during filming of Oscar nominated film The Woman King at KwaZulu Natal.

Dan was instrumental in finding Viola. (Image: Dogs 4 Wildlife)

The calf, called Viola after The Woman King star Viola Davis, was caught in a snare earlier this month with her mother nearby.

Dan had located the snare alongside Project Rhino & The IFPCP’s Anti-Poaching and K9 Unit and they were able to rescue the 18-month-old calf. Viola and her mother were sedated from the air to allow rescuers to carry out their operation safely and there were multiple people on the ground to help with the rescue and ensure both animals were safe.

Darren Priddle, founder and director of Dogs 4 Wildlife and Extremus Dog Training, said: “The rhino poaching incident really demonstrates why collaboration, partnership, teamwork and dedication, are the cornerstone for effective long term conservation efforts and why our collective Ranger and K9 unit is so important.

“We unite for a common goal, a goal that promotes sustainability and the flourishment of the planets remaining wild places.”

The critical importance of our dog unit on Bonamanzi from Dogs 4 Wildlife on Vimeo.

Jacqui Law, co-founder and director of Dogs 4 Wildlife, said: “Because of the diligence of our teams on the ground, this incident had a good outcome but this is just one of many heart breaking incidents of snare poaching that occurs in KwaZulu Natal – many of which do not have a happy outcome.

“Snare poaching does not discriminate on what species of animals it wounds or kills. This is a torturous method of catching wildlife for bushmeat.”

KwaZulu Natal holds 25 per cent of the world’s population of black and white rhino, but last year 548 were poached in South Africa, with poaching incidents in KwaZulu Natal increasing by more than double.

Viola was rescued. (Image: Dogs 4 Wildlife)

Junior Blom, K9 project manager for Project Rhino, said: “We are so pleased that this attempted rhino poaching incident had a positive outcome. Snare poaching and increased incidents in KZN with rhino poaching has been devastating.

"There have been many more incidents and the death of several rhinos have been completely pointless as we have had rhinos shot that have been dehorned four months previously.

“The added increase in rangers as part of our Ranger & K9 Unit means there have been an increase in snares being found which is really positive and once we have huge plans to have zero incidents of snares being laid.”