Jasper, a Belgian Malinois, joins the dog unit guarding the last Javan rhinos from poachers

A two-year-old Belgian Malinois named Jasper has completed a year of training and joined the dog unit that protects Javan rhinos in Indonesia's Ujung Kulon National Park, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said on 19 October. The unit is run by IFAW with the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN).

Ujung Kulon, on the island of Java, is the last place on Earth where Javan rhinos live. The species once ranged across south and southeast Asia and is the rarest of the world's five rhino species, IFAW said.

Two snares and a group of illegal fishers in his final test

The dogs are trained to find snares and track poachers. In his final test, Jasper found two snares set in a simulation exercise and found people fishing illegally in the park's river. He has also helped find bird poachers, which allowed the park management to take legal action, according to IFAW.

Jasper joins Rimba, who has worked in the unit since 2024 and has found many snares. Their training is led by Frederic Chappée, IFAW's canine technical director, through remote support and sessions in the field.

“Jasper is a young and energetic dog showing great promise.” — Frederic Chappée, IFAW canine technical director

“I am extremely proud of this unit,” said Femke den Haas, co-founder of JAAN. IFAW and JAAN have worked together for more than a decade on wildlife trafficking, training law enforcement teams and caring for confiscated animals.

Poaching cut the population by a third

The stakes are high because the population is so small and has recently been hit hard. Javan rhino numbers fell by 33% from 2019 to 2023 because of poaching, according to the International Rhino Foundation, which also says a population viability analysis projects the species could go extinct within about five decades unless the remaining animals are protected.

Dogs are taking on more conservation jobs. In the UK this month, a labrador that sniffs out an invasive sea squirt was named IFAW's Animal of the Year. IFAW has not said how many patrols the Ujung Kulon unit runs or whether more dogs are in training.