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Kanyaruchinya, Democratic Republic of Congo - Amid a circle of spectators, a troupe of performers takes center stage. Songs resound, accompanied by the beat of drums and lively dances. A large banner carries a powerful message: "The future of our environment depends on our behavior today." The drumming soon gives way to a play performed in Swahili. We're in Kanyaruchinya, in the Nyiragongo territory of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some 200,000 people have sought refuge in the southern part of the province, seeing a conflict that has been raging since…

In the war on poaching, some of the best defenders have four legs. Trained canines are used in some of South Africa's national parks to detect wildlife contraband like rhino horns, pangolin scales, and ivory at airports and roadblocks. Other dogs are trained to track and apprehend poachers in the field. According to Save the Rhino, 9,885 rhinos have been lost to poaching in the last decade. But Carl Thornton, founder and director of Pit-Track K9 Conservation and Anti-Poaching Unit, says the numbers are likely much higher.

African rhinos endure a huge problem of poaching. The rhinos are sought by poachers, traffickers, international criminal groups and even tourists. On 15 July 2018, an internet search for "rhino poaching" showed over 48700 media references on the subject. People from Asia are the prime wildlife consumers. In China and Viet Nam mainly, the demand for rhino horn has gone beyond any level-headed imagination, fuelled by endless inspirations of local traditions and attitudes, a situation exacerbated by wrong and misinformed perceptions of wildlife products.