RWANDA: Akagera Mourns Five Year-Old Dog Barak

Just like in our real world where new life is welcomed with joy and death embraced with pain and sadness, at Akagera National park the mood is somber and sad after the sudden loss of the National Park's five year old dog Barak. Management of the park has just released a saddening announcement of the his loss and here we reproduce it verbatim;

"The management of Akagera National Park is very sad to announce the sudden death of Barak, one of the eight dogs making up the canine unit in Akagera National Park.

Barak was a five year old Belgian Malinois. According to the Canine Unit manager, Boaz, his death came as a shock. He was off his food for two days and being closely monitored leading up to his sudden death. Barak was one of the easier dogs to handle, he was calm, very disciplined and well-liked by all the canine unit dog handlers. A post-mortem has been carried out but the cause of his death is yet unknown.

The canine unit dogs were a donation to the Government of Rwanda and arrived in Akagera 18 months ago. With the dogs already highly trained in tracking and restraint when they arrived, handlers were recruited and trained during 2015 to operate the canine unit. Since the 16 handlers graduated from training late last year, the dogs had been deployed to the field daily, in rotation, to patrol the park and support law enforcement efforts.

Boaz had worked with Barak for three years, even before coming to Akagera, and is particularly saddened by Barak's death "Barak was very obedient and disciplined, but his dark features made him appear scary to those who didn't know him. He enjoyed bite work and was impressive to watch at this, he would literally fly at the target from metres away. He also really loved water and swimming."

The dogs have a strict routine of care involving daily medical checks for ticks and temperature, and a programme of de-worming and immunization. The dogs had suffered from the tsetse-transmitted canine trypanosomiasis and been treated several times since arriving in Akagera, however there has been fewer cases in the recent months suggesting they may have built up some immunity. Barak showed none of the usual signs of trypanosomiasis on this occasion.

Park Manager, Jes Gruner, would often take Barak out for the day when he was not on patrol. "The dogs have become part of the family in Akagera and the loss of Barak is a great sadness for us all".

"The dogs have become part of the family.. the loss of Barak is a great sadness..RIP Barak" Akagera tweeted.