Vega and Kuda have completed 185 hours of training and participated in more than 60 tracking exercises.
Dubai: Two specialist conservation dogs flown from London to Zimbabwe by Emirates SkyCargo have begun frontline training to help track and combat illegal poaching at Matusadona National Park.
Vega and Kuda, both Belgian Malinois, were transported to Harare via Dubai in partnership with UK charity Dogs 4 Wildlife. They have since acclimatised to their new operating environment.
The pair are part of the park’s first specialist conservation K9 team and are undergoing advanced integration training alongside local rangers.
More than 185 hours of training
Within just over a month of arriving in Zimbabwe, Vega and Kuda have completed more than 185 hours of practical training alongside six specialist K9 handlers.
The dogs have also undertaken more than 60 human-scent tracking exercises, demonstrating their ability to identify and follow trails associated with suspected poaching activity.
The first stage of the programme has also established welfare and standard operating protocols for the dogs, providing a structured framework for the K9 unit’s operations.
Frontline conservation role
The K9 unit is expected to work alongside rangers at Matusadona National Park, using its scent-tracking capabilities to support efforts to combat illegal wildlife activity.
Emirates SkyCargo maintains a total ban on the transportation of hunting trophies and has trained frontline teams across its global network to identify, report and respond to potential wildlife-trafficking risks.
Emirates is also a founding signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration and works with United for Wildlife to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.
Dubai workshop targets wildlife trafficking
The airline has also stepped up training and coordination in Dubai, recently bringing together government agencies and aviation stakeholders for a workshop focused on combating the illegal wildlife trade.
Participants included representatives from Emirates Group, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai Customs, Dubai Police, Dubai Airports, Al Ain Municipality and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The workshop used real-world cases and scenario-based discussions to explore early detection, escalation procedures, cross-agency coordination, animal welfare and biosecurity.
