"Many Photos" - Norfolk Springer Spaniel is handpicked to help protect the last two northern white rhino

The last line of defence for one of the rarest sub-species on Earth is a springer spaniel from Norfolk.

Drum, who is just 10 months old, has been sent to Kenya and spends his days defending the world’s last two remaining northern white rhinos from poachers on the Ol Pejeta reserve.

His everyday jobs include sniffing out guns and ammunition which hunters try to smuggle into the wildlife sanctuary in central Laikipia county.

Drum, who is just 10 months old, has been sent to Kenya and spends his days defending the world’s last two remaining northern white rhinos from poachers on the Ol Pejeta reserve

He was trained by the charity Animals Saving Animals and was hand-picked as an ‘exceptional candidate’ for the role.

The rhino mother and daughter - Najin, 30, and Fatu, 19 - are the last of their sub-species and require round-the-clock protection along with the 150 other rhinos on the reserve.

Alongside Drum, the pair are guarded by watchtowers, fences and radio transmitters which are fitted to the animals.

When Drum arrived at the reserve last week he met his handler John Mamba, a member of the elite anti-poaching unit

Daryll Pleasants, who runs Animals Saving Animals, trained Drum himself and described him as the ‘perfect’ dog for the job.

‘I hand-picked him from a litter when he was eight weeks old,’ he said. ‘He is used primarily for vehicle searches and for that you need a dog with a very high energy drive.

His everyday jobs include sniffing out guns and ammunition which hunters try to smuggle into the wildlife sanctuary in central Laikipia county

‘To describe Drum, he was the noisy, fat little boy in the litter who was always doing something. He’d be the one wandering off doing his own thing.

‘As a puppy he was always bouncing around and that’s perfect for the job - it’s a very active role.’

Mr Pleasants said Drum was able to sniff out a particular scent from 12 identical boxes at just four months old.

‘He was trained specifically to be sent to this reserve’, he added. ‘I escorted him out there at the end of last month and he’s already doing really well.

‘He’s so friendly and they all love him...I do miss him though. He’ll being enjoying having 93,000 hectares to run around in.’

A spokeswoman for the Ol Pejeta reserve said: ‘Drum arrived on 27 March and was handed over to John Mamba, a member of the elite anti-poaching unit.

‘Drum joins the K-9 unit as a search dog, specifically looking for guns and ammunition. He will be deployed at entry points to search for vehicles and also help during recovering missions.

‘He is acclimatising and bonding with his new handler and is currently undergoing more training sessions in this environment.’

Daryll Pleasants, who runs Animals Saving Animals, trained Drum himself and described him as the ‘perfect’ dog for the job. Mr Pleasants said Drum was able to sniff out a particular scent from 12 identical boxes at just four months old

Alongside Drum, the pair are guarded by watchtowers, fences and radio transmitters which are fitted to the animals

The northern white rhino has been brought to the brink of extinction by poaching, with horns fetching up to £60,000 per kilo.

Hopes that one of the female rhinos would breed with the world’s last male, Sudan, ended last year when he was put to sleep after suffering from a degenerative condition.

Researchers from Oxford University are now desperately trying to save the sub-species using IVF.

He was trained by the charity Animals Saving Animals and was hand-picked as an ‘exceptional candidate’ for the role

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News Photo Norfolk Springer Spaniel is handpicked to help protect the last two northern white rhino
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