Daredevil Dog Names

Arrow performed his first skydive at a base camp in Rustenburg which sits on the outskirts of Pretoria in South Africa. Henry Holsthyzen is Arrow's handler. The duo belongs to the Paramount Group's Anti-Poaching and K9 Academy. Henry jumps from the plane with Arrow firmly strapped to him. The pair love sharing the experience. In fact, Henry has trained Arrow since birth. During the dog's initial training, Henry would descend from a helicopter with the canine strapped firmly on him as they climbed down a rope. This practice helped the dog overcome any fear of heights and learn to trust Henry wholeheartedly. 

Arrow is a daredevil and an adrenaline junkie with a one-track mind which focuses on stopping poachers at all costs. Every day, the dog and his handler brave the harsh African landscape to apprehend poachers who slaughter Africa's animals in a quest for ivory and horns. Often the poachers are armed and highly dangerous. However, Arrow and Henry meet the challenge fearlessly.

The success of using dogs to track poachers is undeniable. The canine's keen sense of smells means that as soon as a dog like Arrow hits the ground, he is on the trail of the poacher without fail. 

 “Before the use of dogs in anti-poaching operations, the success rate was extremely low due to the dense nature of the landscape - making tracking extremely difficult,” Henry told a reporter for the Guinness World Records. ”Today, almost every anti-poaching unit (APU) in South Africa have dogs assisting them in their daily fight against poaching. The contribution these dogs are making in the field of anti-poaching is phenomenal.”  

The benefit of skydiving dogs is undeniable. Henry explains, “In anti-poaching operations, it is always about getting the K9 on the scene as fast as possible. With the African bush being such a vast wilderness, and in some places inaccessible via vehicles, it became clear that alternative methods of insertion needed to be considered such as rappelling from choppers and skydiving from planes.” 

Undoubtedly, Arrow's career will continue successfully and on his heels are numerous other canines who are now working the bush to control the problem.