Anti-poaching Canine Unit Sabi Sand
Since showing up on the radar in 2008, the current rhino poaching crisis has continued to escalate, becoming one of the most pressing conservation issues of the 21st century.
At Singita, we believe that resolving this enigmatic challenge requires a tiered approach. In the long-term, reduced demand for rhino horn is essential to the ultimate survival of the species. In the medium-term, ensuring that local communities derive real benefits from wildlife will turn them into protective custodians of these living resources. Lastly, effective anti-poaching and law enforcement operations are critical in the short-term to buy time for the medium and long-term objectives to be achieved.
In terms of the latter, Singita’s original property, located in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, is one of the most secure protected areas on the continent. Primary layers of security are implemented collectively by all the land owners of the Reserve. However, given the level of threat and our commitment to protecting our rhino, we decided in 2012 to deploy a highly-skilled team of tracking dogs and handlers to further enhance anti-poaching efforts on our reserve in the Sabi Sand.
Conservation Partner
Singita Lowveld Trust
In South Africa, the Singita Lowveld Trust manages a wide range of conservation projects in Singita Sabi Sand and Singita Kruger National Park – from anti-poaching initiatives to wildlife research & land management, sustainability efforts and community partnership projects such as early childhood development, digital learning and a world-class culinary school.
A highly skilled team of tracking dogs and handlers enhance anti-poaching efforts in the Sabi Sand Reserve, while the Trust’s partnership with the global conservation NGO Panthera has shown that the area is home to the largest density of leopards of any protected area surveyed in South Africa. The Panthera’s Furs for Life project – of which Singita is a partner – has reduced the demand for leopard skins with 50%.
