In summer 2025, Canine Field Specialists Renae and Melissa, with their canine counterparts Yagi and Quinn, traveled over 8,000 miles to Indonesia to help locate and protect the critically endangered Sumatran rhino. As part of an ambitious, multi-partner effort that has been ongoing for almost 30 years before our participation, our team joined to offer critical and needed support with our conservation canines. 

Upon the team's arrival, they spent two weeks getting oriented and beginning the most important part of the mission - training the dogs on this new target. Sumatran rhino is not a scent our dogs have encountered before, and to our knowledge, Yagi and Quinn are the first dogs to ever be trained to Sumatran rhino scat. The ability of the dogs to imprint on this scent so quickly is evidence of their skill and experience working on other projects.

Our team utilized the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary as a base for their training. Thanks to the sanctuary’s population of 10 captive Sumatran rhinos, the team had access to fresh scat samples to imprint Yagi and Quinn on the unique scent of this rare species. Additional adjustments for the dogs included adapting to the wilds of Indonesia. The jungle was a whole new world for them: dense foliage and new plants, thick humid air, unfamiliar wildlife, and countless new sounds and smells. Acclimating to the tropical conditions was a big part of their training and adjustment period.

Faster than we expected, the dogs searched and found what many had been looking for, for so long. We are thrilled to share that Sumatran rhino scat was found by the dogs, indicating for the first time in years that wild Sumatran rhinos persist in Way Kambas National Park!

This new find is a huge step forward - but there are still more areas to search, and our work is not yet done. Our founders started Working Dogs for Conservation nearly three decades ago, with many doubting them and their belief in the effectiveness of canines in making big impacts for wildlife and wild places. It is with incredible pride that we continue on with their legacy to shape this field of conservation, continuing to prove that dogs can do this and do it well.