With Gratitude - Kuru The Conservation Dog

Kuru The Conservation Dog trains and deploys highly skilled canine units to combat wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trafficking across Africa. We partner with protected areas, local communities, and enforcement agencies that often lack the tools to stop poaching and smuggling. Anchored by our Dog School in northern Tanzania, we mentor and support more than 20 active dog teams operating in six countries. With your support, we can expand this proven model—delivering outsized impact that protects wildlife, strengthens communities, and disrupts illegal trade.

Wildlife crime has reached unprecedented levels, threatening some of the worldʼs most iconic species and the ecosystems they anchor. Poaching, trafficking, and illegal trade now rank among the top transnational crimes, alongside drugs, arms, and human trafficking. With an estimated annual value between $7 billion and $23 billion, the illegal wildlife trade devastates global biodiversity and undermines security, community livelihoods, and local economies. Wildlife crime doesnʼt operate in isolation. Itʼs closely tied to poverty, corruption, and armed conflict, fueling violence and instability. Communities living near wildlife reserves often bear the brunt, facing in security and losing the natural resources they depend on. Rangers and law enforcement are often outmatched—spread thin across vast landscapes, borders, and airports. The statistics are sobering but serve as a rallying cry for urgent action. Conservation is no longer an option—it is a necessity for a sustainable and just future.

Scale of  wildlife crime:

• Wildlife trafficking is valued at $7-23 billion annually, making it one of the largest transnational crimes in the world (UNODC, World Bank).

Biodiversity at risk:

• Every year, more than 17,000 elephants are killed—out of an estimated 415,000 remaining in Africa.
• Over 1,000 rhinos are slaughtered annually, from a population of roughly 23,000 left in the wild.
• And pangolins, with all eight species now threatened with extinction, remain the most trafficked mammal on Earth.

Weak enforcement capacity:

• Many frontline agencies lack detection resources to secure parks, borders, and airports.

Security linkages:

• Wildlife crime is tied to organized crime and armed groups, destabilizing communities (Interpol, UNODC).