Since 2001, the Mara Conservancy has created an efficient and successful anti-poaching unit using what little resources we have. Each day rangers from our Ngiro-are and Iseyia Stations patrol different areas of the Mara Triangle and the Northern part of Serengeti in search of recent signs of poaching as well as the removal of sometimes hundreds of snares each month. From each day's activities rangers then plan night ambushes where they lie in wait for poachers who use the cover of darkness to return to their snares.  In seven years rangers have arrested more than 1,100 poachers - an incredible number - but it is only rarely that we catch all of the poachers - upon ambush we often have escapees who are able to conceal themselves in nearby thickets, luggas, marshes etc. If the Mara Conservancy had a tracker dog unit as part of the team we would be able to catch close to 100% of poachers on a night ambush and send a clear message to other poachers in the area.

In June 2009, a unit of two bloodhound dogs and eight handlers were introduced to Ngiro-are Outpost, near the Tanzanian border. Training took place for one month, and for which we are extrememly grateful to Linda Porter and John Lutenberg from Canine Training Acadamy, Colorado, who volunteered their time and expertise to train our tracker dog unit.

The tracker dog unit will be pivotal in its work alongside the anti-poaching unit to reduce poaching and improve security. Due to its close proximity to the international border, areas around the Reserve remain vulnerable to illegal activities.  This remains a constant problem in Trans-Mara, where the stealing of cattle by rustlers from across the border is the most serious re-occurring issue.

  Poaching for bushmeat is also common in the Mara Triangle, with wildebeest, zebra and Thomson Gazelles all regularly targeted.  Snares, however, are indiscriminate in what they catch and in 2008 the Reserve has lost both lions and elephants.  Spears, bows and arrows are also used by hunters and in this way, hippos and in November 2008 a leopard was lost.

Only by arresting all of the individuals within a group would it be possible to have an impact on poaching numbers and cattle rustling. Currently, even if discovered, the chances of the poacher or rustler being able to make an escape are high by using the cover of darkness or the terrain to their advantage. A higher success rate in the number of men arrested by the Conservancy would make poaching and rustling a less viable source of income for the local communities and bring improved security to the region.

In July, our newly trained tracker dog unit was brought to the scene where poachers fled into the bush after their camp was discovered by the rangers.  The rangers arrested two poachers in a pursuit and dogs were able to sniff out additional two poachers from the long grass.  With the arrival of the migration, over 200,000 wildebeests are now seen in our area.

One of the biggest problems the tracker dog unit is facing is lack of vehicle designated to the unit.  Our anti-poaching patrol covers 510 sq Km savannah within the Mara Triangle and mobility of each of unit is key to the successful coverage of the entire area.  The tracker dogs requires K9 vehicle on its own to independently carry out their deployment in the bush.  We are urgently looking for funding to purchase one vehicle for the tracker dog unit to combat the poachers!!