In May 2026, three hounds from Luna Hounds' Bravo litter were deployed to Lalibela Game Reserve in the Kalahari, South Africa. Frankie, Harvey and Luigi are the first dogs from the litter to go on assignment. They are now around 18 months old, working in terrain they have never seen before, and learning to operate alongside rangers on horseback for the first time. That is a lot of firsts for the hounds, handlers and horses!
Luna Hounds' Blue Tick Coonhounds run off-line - meaning off-leash - and they move fast. Rangers on foot cannot keep up. In dense lowveld bush, a helicopter is normally used to follow the hounds, and rapidly deploy rangers once contact is made. In the more open Kalahari terrain, a mounted unit can follow the hounds. The goal is a formation that keeps the rangers close enough for security while giving the hounds the space they need to work. This is a way to keep the dogs safe while not limiting the speed the hounds move at.
Neither the dogs nor the rangers had done this together before but we are super happy to report that the pack is doing extremely well!
A free-running pack relies heavily on the individual characteristics of its members. The team selected Luigi, Harvey and Frankie for this first Bravo Pack deployment because their training records proved they were ready for the next step. All of them are extremely accurate and have speed. They passed all foundational training with excellence. What we were looking for in this pack is:
Overall each individually is amazing and confident in their work. Together they cover each other's gaps and work together as a team to stay on the scent and track down suspected poachers.
The hounds are running 5 to 6 kilometre tracks in Kalahari heat. The track layers - playing the role of poachers during training - have tried everything to shake them: climbing trees, digging and climbing into termite mounds, doubling back across waterholes. The hounds have found them every time. The horses moving behind them are, as far as the pack is concerned, completely irrelevant. That indifference is exactly what we were hoping for and it is very encouraging that the hounds aren't fazed by the mounted rangers at all.
In fact, all is going so smoothly that even though Robynne (Luna Hounds founder) was scheduled to travel up and troubleshoot, she didn't actually have to go! There was nothing to fix, so she hasn't gone.
Harvey and Frankie recently completed one of their strongest tracks to date. 5.2 kilometres, an hour old, finished in 18 minutes. The track included three road crossings, two scent pools, two open area crossings, and a final open stretch at the 5 kilometre mark with two people at the end of it. Along the way, they passed large groups of animals without breaking focus. The handlers called it a perfect track.
Luigi sat this one out... Moving to a new reserve is a big transition, and at 18 months old, the boys are still young enough that the adjustment takes time. Robynne explains that they have seen this before with younger dogs and especially males. At this age, they can go through phases where they loose focus during tracking - which is what seems to have happened to Luigi recently. The solution? House arrest! On this track the handlers made a deliberate call to leave Luigi in the kennels while Harvey and Frankie went out. It is a recognised technique in pack training. A dog that misses a run does not forget what running feels like. He just wants it more!
By the time Harvey and Frankie came back from that 18-minute track, Luigi had made his feelings on the matter very clear. His drive is back and he will not be sitting the next one out.
Robynne - who bred and trained this pack - is feeling very excited and super proud. Albeit a bit nervous because the boys are still young, and they have a lot to grow into and a new environment to discover. She has full faith they will be making big waves for the wildlife populations in the Kalahari.
Her longer-term vision for this deployment goes beyond just the three dogs: "I cannot wait to see what happens over the next few years. My dream is to see this pack successfully integrated with the mounted APU and that the teams work well together. I think it could be one of the most formidable anti-poaching forces, especially for those who don't have access to helicopters."
The boys have not yet run a live track. Robynne is glad of that. They are still young, still settling in with their handlers, still building their relationship with the reserve. The expectation is that as the year progresses and the team beds in, that will change. The pressure, she says, is in making the two teams work together: the hounds need room to run, the rangers need to stay close for security. Getting that balance right over the coming months and years is what she is watching for.
But for now, Frankie, Harvey and Luigi are thriving. They have settled into their new home really well, they love the handlers and the handlers love them. They ready for their big debut when it comes.
Four hounds remain at the Hoedspruit base camp, continuing their training. Robynne has plans for a Charlie litter later this year, once the full costs of food, training and equipment are funded.
If you'd like to support the next generation of Luna Hounds, get in touch to sponsor a hound or donate directly here.
Written by Evelyn Poole
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