A working dog befriended by Prince Harry has signed off on his final mission after putting more than 200 rhino poachers behind bars.
Killer, an 11-year-old Belgian malinois, was a crack operator in the Kruger National Park’s elite Special Operations Team.
A top tracker, he spent eight years in South Africa hunting armed poachers who often shot at him in attempts to evade justice.
Sadly, he had to be humanely put down this week.
In 2016 Killer was praised by Prince Harry after he was awarded the animal equivalent of the George Cross by comic and animal activist, Ricky Gervais.
On a visit to Kruger National Park the year before, Harry even asked to be introduced to the brave pooch after hearing about his work.
In that same year, Killer also made legal history when a South African judge said he would accept his “testimony” as put forward by handler Amos Mzimba, leading to two poachers being convicted.
Amos and Kruger’s K9 unit manager Johan de Beer remained with Killer until the very end.
Johan, 48, said: “Killer was one of the first anti-poaching dogs we had but his work out in the wilds had taken its toll on his back legs and he was in a lot of pain.
“There are a lot of people who will be sorry to hear of his passing, including Prince Harry, but it was time to let him go.
“His ashes will be taken to a special place out where he loved to be.”
After a moving cremation ceremony, Amos told how it had been “an honour to have Killer by my side”.
He said: “Many times I have been shot at and many times he has saved me. He was a very brave dog and I will always miss him.”
And Johan told how Killer had left an “immense legacy”.
He said: “He was a hero working for the rhinos in their fight against poachers, and it is a fight we are slowly winning.
“He and Amos came under fire many times but he was clever and brave and always kept the scent and took down the poacher.
“They threw down chillies to put him off but it never worked and he kept going and going until he got his man. Rest in peace, Killer. You will be sorely missed, old friend.”
The fearsome but loving hound was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal in 2016 for his crime-fighting career.
It is the highest honour a non-military animal can receive for bravery and devotion. PDSA Director General Jan McLoughlin said Killer was “a very worthy recipient” of the award. “His contribution to saving the rhino population has been truly remarkable.”
In a 2016 Facebook tribute, comic Ricky Gervais said: “K9 Killer is a scary name but this lovely boy does fantastic work in the Kruger National Park. His job is to help rangers track down poachers who kill native rhinos for their valuable horns.
“Thanks to his amazing courage and dedication, Killer has helped catch dozens of poachers and is making a huge contribution to rhino protection.”
Belgian malinois dogs are known for their bravery, intelligence and ferocity. The breed is also capable of working long hours in the searing heat of the African sun.
Killer spent his first year being specially trained for the job then spent a further 16 months in the Kruger National Park learning to track human scent only.
He would often be airlifted by chopper deep into the wilds to track poachers, coming up against a range of dangers including lions, leopards and deadly snakes along the way.
In 2019, South Africa’s Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries reported that the number of rhinos being poached had fallen for the fifth year in a row.
Killings peaked at 1,215 in 2014 but last year had declined to 594.
It is also thought that the number of endangered rhinos in South Africa is steadily growing.
