Emirates SkyCargo Flies K9 Unit to Zimbabwe to Combat Poaching in Matusadona National Park
Vega and Kuda, both Belgian Malinois, were transported to Harare via Dubai in partnership with UK charity Dogs 4 Wildlife and have since acclimatised to their new operating environment.
The pair form part of the park’s first specialist conservation K9 team and are now undergoing advanced integration training alongside local rangers.
More than 185 hours of training
Within just over a month of arriving in Zimbabwe, Vega and Kuda have completed more than 185 hours of practical training with six specialist K9 handlers.
The dogs have also carried out more than 60 human-scent tracking exercises, demonstrating their ability to identify and follow trails linked to suspected illegal poaching activity.
The first stage of the programme has also introduced welfare and Standard Operating Protocols for the dogs, creating an operating framework for the K9 unit.
Frontline conservation role
The K9 unit is expected to work alongside rangers at Matusadona National Park, using scent tracking capabilities to support efforts against illegal wildlife activity.
Emirates SkyCargo maintains a total ban on the transportation of hunting trophies and has trained frontline teams across its global network to identify, report and respond to potential wildlife trafficking risks.
Emirates is also a founding signatory of the Buckingham Palace Declaration and works with United for Wildlife on efforts aimed at combating illegal wildlife trafficking.
Dubai workshop targets wildlife trafficking
The airline has also stepped up training and coordination in Dubai, recently bringing together government agencies and aviation stakeholders for a workshop focused on illegal wildlife trade.
Participants included representatives from the Emirates Group, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai Customs, Dubai Police, Dubai Airports, Al Ain Municipality and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The workshop used real-world cases and scenario-based discussions to examine early detection, escalation procedures, cross-agency coordination, animal welfare and biosecurity.
Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, where she spends her days unpacking money, markets, aviation, and the big shifts shaping life in the Gulf. Before returning to Gulf News, she launched Finance Middle East, complete with a podcast and video series.
Her reporting has taken her from breaking spot news to long-form features and high-profile interviews. Nivetha has interviewed Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu, IMF’s Jihad Azour, and a long list of CEOs, regulators, and founders who are reshaping the region’s economy.
An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha has shared classrooms and newsrooms with journalists from more than 40 countries, which probably explains her weakness for data, context, and a good follow-up question.
When she is away from her keyboard (AFK), you are most likely to find her at the gym with an Eminem playlist, bingeing One Piece, or exploring games on her PS5.
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