In total, the Zannier Reserve by Naankuse is employing a team of 64 anti-poaching rangers and 13 K9s, including Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherds and German Shepherds. These K9s are trained daily, both morning and night, in agility, attack work, scent discrimination and tracking, helping protect the reserve around the clock.
The Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) are on patrol 24/7, ensuring poachers cannot enter undetected. Winter conditions are particularly demanding, with each ranger deployed for a week at a time, carrying all necessary food and supplies. At head quarters, rangers monitor operations and the surveillance cameras around the clock, including the strict tracking of rhinos and other animals fitted with tracking collars.
The APU is equipped with bulletproof vests and firearms to respond with potential threats. However, the primary objective of the APU is not to kill nor injure the poachers, but to apprehend them and gather intelligence about the poaching syndicate to support police efforts in dismantling their network. Firearms are used only when their are threatened directly. Notably, APU members are also police reservists, working with Namibian police to patrol the area and catch criminals.
Since the beginning of 2020, three intrusion attempts have been successfully prevented. As of May 2026, rangers patrolled 1,457 km on foot, and the reserve has reached 5,611 days without a poaching incident. Additionally, it has been 2,930 days since the first rhino arrived without any intrusion or poaching.
