About
Canines for African Nature
Vision
A future where Africa’s rare and elusive species are no longer invisible to conservation, safeguarded by expert-led detection dog teams that reveal what the eye can’t see.
Mission
What We Offer
At Canines for African Nature, we bridge cutting-edge science with canine olfaction to uncover what traditional surveys often miss. With merged experience in applied ecology, conservation genetics, wildlife monitoring, and canine partnerships, our team offers:
Expert-Led Survey Teams
We provide trained conservation detection dog teams for rare and elusive species, with customized protocols tailored to your focal species, habitat type, and research needs. Each detection dog team is led by an experienced ecologist to ensure data collection aligns with the best scientific practices and conservation goals.
Genetic Sampling and Lab Partnerships
We collaborate with local and international genetic labs to optimize molecular methods for noninvasive samples, especially for non-model species. Scat is a valuable source of data, but DNA degradation and environmental contamination are often overlooked challenges that need to be considered for project success. We help you move from scat to sequence with confidence.
Locally Accessible and Scalable Services
Conservation detection dogs are being unleashed globally increasing search efficiency of elusive species from invasive plants to tigers. Despite their effectiveness, they are underutilized in Africa, with most published research sourcing international teams at high cost. We use locally sourced canines and handlers making detection dog services affordable and accessible.
Doggy Demos and Sniffaris
Our conservation canine ambassadors are not just data collectors, they’re educators. We offer interactive demos for students, safari guests, and local communities to build support for conservation through the eyes (and noses) of our dogs.
Collaborative Program Design
Need support building a detection dog component into your project? We offer consultation and co-design services, helping partners develop robust study designs and meet international standards of welfare, ethics, and effectiveness.
Multispecies & Multimethod Approaches
To expand the scope of wildlife research, we offer a flexible approach that incorporates multispecies targets and diverse methods, enhancing traditional monitoring techniques with the power of trained detection dogs. As ecologists, we bring a wealth of experience in various wildlife research and monitoring techniques, which we can incorporate alongside detection dog surveys, optimizing both efficiency and conservation impact.
Scat is a rich source of data, offering insights through various analyses, such as genotyping for genetic diversity and population assessments, DNA mini-barcoding for diet and pathogen studies, and stable isotope analysis.
Through collaborative partnerships, the impact of our super sniffer teams can expand conservation efforts far beyond individual projects, species, and ecosystems for the betterment of Africa’s unique biodiversity.
Scat is a rich source of data, offering insights through various analyses, such as genotyping for genetic diversity and population assessments, DNA mini-barcoding for diet and pathogen studies, and stable isotope analysis.
Through collaborative partnerships, the impact of our super sniffer teams can expand conservation efforts far beyond individual projects, species, and ecosystems for the betterment of Africa’s unique biodiversity.