Three "pioneering pooches" from the succulent detection canine team at the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) have made their first official bust, outwitting plant poachers in the Northern Cape. The team consists of three scent detection dogs: Ike, a German shepherd; Reaper, a Belgian malinois; and Delta, a border collie, who have been specifically trained to sniff out succulent plants. Their professional handlers are Esther Matthew and Shadi Henrico. The unit has been working in the Western Cape and Northern Cape to help law enforcement officials screen vehicles at roadblocks. At midnight on 13 October in Springbok, they outsmarted two suspects who had dumped a box containing about 1 760 poached succulent plants – Conophytum subterraneum – just before the roadblock. A single blueberry-sized plant remained in their vehicle, a gold VW Polo, but it was enough. "Delta, our detection dog, found it almost instantly, providing a vital link to the discarded box of succulents," the EWT said. The two suspects were arrested and charged under the Northern Cape Nature Conservation Act for illegal possession of endangered plants and will appear in court soon, according to Northern Cape police.