Tuesday, June 10, 2014

FRIEND OR FOE: GUESTS PARTICIPATE IN ANTI-POACHING

Meet a rhino’s best friends: the tracker dogs of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kenya. Guests of Lewa Safari Camp have a rare safari option of working with an elite and highly trained force: the anti-poaching unit. Welcome to tracker dog training.

Travelers of all ages may work with the conservancy’s tracker dogs and rangers. Guests receive a briefing and choose someone to play the “bad guy.” A young bloodhound rises to the challenge, taking in the scent of your footprint. Head off with a ranger to a spot you deem sufficient, maybe far and near a group of impala. It won’t be long before the dog leads the others to your exact location.
Tracker dogs don’t need much to follow a scent – whether it rains or a print is six months old. They have been used successfully on several anti-poaching operations. It isn’t a surprise that they’re treated like royalty within the conservancy.

Other safari options for guests include visits to the conservancy’s headquarters – a great follow-up to tracker dog training. See what headquarters do for security, operations, education and healthcare (visits free of charge). Time this visit with Lewa Safari Camp’s two slots a week to visit three orphaned baby black rhinos ($15 per person), who are being hand raised by the conservancy’s rangers. There are strict guidelines concerning this interaction.

Tracker dog training is $10 per person and free for children under 14. Lewa Safari Camp rates start at $380 per person sharing per night and include accommodation, game drives and other safari activities, airstrip transfers and limited laundry. For more information, visit www.lewasafaricamp.com or email info@chelipeacock.co.ke.


Note : Lewa Wildlife Conservancy was created to protect and conserve Black and White Rhinos as well as other rare and endangered species, including the Grevy’s Zebra. It’s one of the most successful examples of sustainable tourism in the world. Lewa Safari Camp is the only camp owned by the conservancy with its profits re-invested into the conservancy’s crucial conservation and community work.