BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is planning to introduce snifter dogs at the Victoria Fails International Airport to detect wildlife products like ivory.
This was revealed by IFAW Country Director, Aleta Nyawuye, at a handover ceremony of two Land Cruisers and a K9 dog unit to Zimparks in Victoria Falls towards the end of last year. On the sidelines of the event Nyawuye said, “So, there are a number of types of dogs that are used in detecting crimes. This particular type of dog that we are partnering with Zimparks is called the blue ticker hound.”
Nyawuye emphasized the importance of addressing transboundary crimes, saying, “What we need to do progressively is to be able to deal with transboundary crimes… Because crime is not only confined within the country, but it also traverses across borders.”
She noted that the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Park (KAZA) region, which spans across Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia, is particularly vulnerable to such crimes.
Nyawuye explained that the introduction of sniffer dogs at the Victoria Falls International Airport is part of a broader strategy to combat wildlife crime. “So, what we need to do going forward is to be able to have specific types of sniffer dogs at the international airport Victoria Falls that are able to detect stuff like ivory or any other animal product that is not supposed to be leaving this country.”
She acknowledged that the planning stages are still underway, saying, “When I say we are going to implement this, we are still at the planning stage. This is a long-term intervention that we are planning because this also goes with a rapid response unit.”