Conservation K9 unit launches in Zimbabwe's Matusadona National Park

Two specially trained Belgian Malinois conservation dogs, Vega and Kuda, have arrived at Matusadona National Park in Zimbabwe to launch the park’s first specialist conservation K9 unit. The dogs were transported from London to Harare via Dubai by Emirates SkyCargo, in collaboration with the UK-based charity Dogs 4 Wildlife.

Since their arrival, the dogs have completed over 185 hours of hands-on training with six expert K9 handlers. In their first month, they performed more than 60 exercises focused on tracking human scents to identify illegal poaching activities. The program has also established welfare guidelines and Standard Operating Protocols to ensure a sustainable framework for the unit’s future operations.