Czech dog to play key role in combating ivory trade

Thousands of elephants in Central Africa fall prey to ivory poachers every year. The Czech Republic is now making a small contribution to the fight against illegal trade in ivory. A specially trained Czech sniffer dog will be sent to over to Congo to help local customs officials detecting smuggled ivory. The project was initiated by the Czech NGO Save-Elephants.

Hana Böhme and Cama, photo: CTK

Cama, a female German Shepherd and her coach Hana Böhme are set to leave for Brazzaville, the capital of Congo, in mid-February. Cama will help customs officials in the city to detect ivory as well as the meat of the local wild animal species, which have also been subject to extensive trafficking. Cama’s trainer Hana Böhme from the north-Bohemian town of Česká Lípa, had previously taken part in coaching two other dogs in Congo:

“When I came back from Congo after two months, we had to choose from three different dogs: two German Shepherds and one Dutch Shepherd. We chose Cama, because I have had her since she was a puppy and she really was the best. German shepherds are ideal for this kind of work because they are a healthy breed, they are temperamental and they are really hard-working.”

The two-year old Cama has undergone months of hard training and can already distinguish up to 19 scents of exotic animals. The Liberec Zoo took part in the training by providing samples of the scent of elephant tusks and the fur and scales of various animals, such as chimpanzees and parrots. Hana Böhme outlines what awaits Cama upon her arrival in Congo:

Photo: Czech Television

“During the first week she will have to get used to the new environment, because I cannot imagine what the journey by plane will do to her. After a week we will start with training and also find her a new coach. I have already met with a local youth who is really good with dogs and I would like him to become Cama’s new coach. He will also have to learn some Czech in order to give her orders.”

Meanwhile, a specialized dog training centre in Heřmanice in north Bohemia which trains dogs for Czech customs officials is considering organising a training course for detection dogs and their coaches from Brazzaville, either in the Heřmanice centre or in Congo, under Czech expert supervision.