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Bushmeat Detection

Bushmeat - an increasing threat of epidemic proportions

One of the most sickening trades currently on the rise and engulfing global markets is that of illegal meat or 'bushmeat' from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. To combat this upturn in smuggling many countries around the world are reinforcing their border controls; however, most, including the UK, have introduced IMDD (illegal meat detection) dog search teams.

The increase in illegally trafficked animals and meat poses a very real threat, not just to the UK's wildlife and farming community but also to its population. According to a report from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) a very real threat of epidemic infection exists and the UK is at greater risk than at first thought. According to the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force, a non-governmental organisation that monitors the trade, "SIV infection, the primate equivalent of HIV, has now been reported in 26 species of African non-human primates, many of which are hunted and sold as food. Contact with wild meat can also increase the risk of Ebola."

Through our knowledge and expertise we were asked to train Illegal Meat Detection Dogs and are now pleased to introduce Matty, our first Illegal Meat Detection Dual Purpose Dog.

Matty, together with other young dogs currently completing their courses, will assist public sector agencies in border controls and are trained to search using both Pro-Active and Passive search techniques (Dual Purpose), including VS, baggage, person, containers and warehouses.

All our dogs are trained on bush and indigenous meats under different scent pictures and conditions. We have permission to hold illegal meat imports for the sole purpose of training our Illegal Meat Detection Dogs and it ranges from rat and hare, to zebra and primate.

At PointerUK we produce IMDD dogs, together with handler training and re-teaming, in an effort to assist, in some small way, with the fight against this appalling trade.

Our dogs are available to public sector bodies only. Please contact us for further details.

Find out more about the illegal bushmeat trade at: