With an annual turnover of more than US$19 billion, wildlife trafficking and crime are lucrative businesses. It is the fourth-largest illegal activity in the world, after drug trafficking, counterfeiting, and human trafficking. Africa is highly prized by this illegal and dangerous industry, as it is home to everything from ivory and lion products to rhino horn, pangolin scales, and more. Just two hours drive from the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, Mozambique’s Maputo International Airport is an international trafficking hotspot, or rather, it was until 2018.
In that year, Mozambique’s National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), supported by a collaborative partnership between the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and Peace Parks Foundation’s Combating Wildlife Crime Unit, established a Detection Dog Unit to help combat wildlife crime and deter the trafficking of wildlife products through Maputo International Airport.
Sniffer dog programmes and detection teams are used worldwide to combat wildlife trafficking and crime. The dog’s extraordinary sense of smell, which is nearly 1,000 times more sensitive than a human’s, enables them to detect smells from both live species and raw materials. This acute sense increases efficiency for inspectors and customs officials, as they can quickly scan cargo, luggage, and packages without opening each crate, box, or parcel.
Sniffer dogs and their handlers form close bonds, relying on each other for commands, directions, and cues. They are trained to identify illegal wildlife products through incentive programmes, reinforcing positive behaviour. After a successful scent, dogs are rewarded with food or play, increasing their eagerness to discover contraband and making customs more effective.
Working in collaboration with the Mozambique Special Police Unit since 2018, the Dog Unit, comprising four sniffer dogs (Casey, Sam, Sasa, and Duke), has inspected over 180,000 bags with mainly minor wildlife seizures, including elephant ivory tusks and 900 kg of dried abalone. This is a testament to the powerful deterrent effect the unit has, and this was emphasised by a study that found no “downstream” seizures at other airports from flights originating at Maputo International Airport.
The dogs are well looked after by their trained handlers. They are registered with medical insurance (for up to USD 2,900 per year, excluding annual vaccinations, deworming, and sterilisations) and fed premium dog food; a single dog consumes 17kg in just one month. The average working life of a detection dog is 6–8 years, and two of the current team members will be retiring in the next year.
To ensure this remarkable crime-fighting unit can continue safeguarding Africa’s wildlife, it needs to be strengthened with both additional dogs and training of Mozambique’s National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) handlers. Visit peaceparks.org/donate to make a donation, selecting ‘No tolerance for wildlife crime’ to support the dogs and their committed handlers today.
