explained that the bullets imbedded in the
gates were from a shootout with bandits and
cattle rustlers that lived in some of the
nearby villages.
We were welcomed with warm handshakes, enthusiastic smiles, and a marching
demonstration from our new trainees. Our
housing for the next month was a sturdy,
comfortable tent pitched near the cook
house, complete with real beds — and
monkeys that visited us during the breakfast
hour hoping for a handout.
We soon
learned how
capable,
resourceful,
resilient, and
motivated
these men
were.
■ Above left: The trainees attended classes in
handling, scent theory, trail setup and marking,
reading the dog, and environmental impact, as
well as K- 9 health, first aid, and grooming. Above
right: The trainees learn basic tracking procedures.
Initial Handler Training
The Mara Conservancy had chosen eight
men from local villages for the K- 9 trainee
positions. None of the trainees had prior
ranger experience. Three of them spoke
English, one spoke several different tribal
languages, and the others spoke only Swahili. Through our
initial correspondence with the Mara Conservancy, we had
been expecting to work with four fully trained English-
speaking rangers for two rotating K- 9 positions. When we
learned there were eight men to train, we became con-
cerned that the choice and number of trainees would
further complicate our training schedule. The language
barrier would obviously impede the training process. None
of the trainees had any firearms or tactical experience, and
none had ever worked with dogs. We had one month to
train eight inexperienced men to handle two green dogs for
poaching enforcement. However, we soon
learned how capable, resourceful, resilient,
and motivated these men were.
