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german shepard

German shepherds are amongst the breeds used to track down poachers. Photo Credit: National Geographic

Dogs Help Human Track Down Poachers

Tracker dogs, those who are trained to follow a scent, have a big job in Tanzania. At Tarangire National Park, the dogs are on duty, helping humans find poachers.

National Geographic recently reported on this step towards helping to protect elephants from poachers in East Africa. The story centers around Big Life Foundation, who rescued a few German shepherds from the Netherlands and brought them to Tanzania for training before putting them on the job.

The dogs, who have been used in Kenya as well as Tanzania, have become crucial in the pursuit of poachers. The National Geographic  story recounts the actions of dogs Rocky and Rosdus as they track down the poachers responsible for killing a 45-year-old elephant.

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