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Texas Hounds Chase Down Rhino Poachers in South Africa

I live with two hounds so this is my kind of story. There is an article where the trainer talks about how these hounds mean business! You have to watch the videos and see the pics in the wonderful National Geographic story that appeared about these dogs and their Texas trainer.

Joe Braman takes his free-running Texas hounds to South Africa to chase poachers!

The Nat Geo story tells us about his success in Kruger National Park.

"To date since then, according to authorities, his hounds have helped law enforcement teams in the greater Kruger region catch an unprecedented 145 poachers and confiscate 53 guns, boosting the overall rate of successful arrests and providing a new strategy to fight poaching in Africa."

"There are some 20,000 white rhinos and just over 5,000 critically endangered black rhinos in the wild across Africa. South Africa is home to about 80 percent of the world's last remaining rhinos."

He says that each dog wants to be the first on the scent.

How did this all begin?

Braman trains a unique bloodline of aggressive free-running pack dogs used in Texas law enforcement to track down escaping prison inmates.  You need the right genetics and free-running dogs have proved to be more successful than a team of two. A man and one dog just aren't fast enough!  

"After becoming a deputy game warden for Texas Parks and Wildlife, Braman joined the Houston Police Academy in 2001 and has been working for the sheriff's office in Refugio and Victoria counties ever since."

If you've ever seen a pack of hounds run together on a scent, you know how amazing this training is as it's not easy to do and they need to be bred for it.

Check out his Facebook page and we included a video below of Texas hound puppies getting ready for some training!

How adorable are these puppies? Hounds in training to catch bad guys!

Do you live with a hound? I live with two and they are my fave breed.

Coonhound breeds are known for their inquisitive charm and can be quite goofy. They are scent hounds and are most noticeable by their long ears and large bays. They are working dogs and if a Coonhound owner doesn't hunt them, they need sufficient exercise to keep them mentally stimulated

Do you have a Coonhound? Show us in the comments below!

WATCH NOW: Coonhounds Are the Floppiest!