While rangers elsewhere in the country are fighting to save the rhino, the City of Cape Town is waging its own war on poachers who use packs of dogs to illegally hunt the indigenous Cape grysbok, the Cape hare and porcupine. Often other animals such as the caracal and the mongoose are also targeted.Johan van der Merwe, mayoral committee member for environmental planning, said the primary reason for the practice was gambling. Bets were placed on dogs involved in the hunt.The poaching is taking a toll on the animal population in city-run reserves, especially the Zandvlei Nature Reserve, the Macassar Dunes Conservation Area and the Wolfgat Nature Reserve."It is estimated that dozens of animals are poached from the city's nature reserves each month."While the exact figure is unknown, the marked decrease or even absence of particular animals at some sites is evidence of the impact," said Van der Merwe.A matter currently before court involves three suspects who were arrested at Wolfgat last September with a pack of dogs and the carcasses of three porcupines and a Cape grysbok.Cape of Good Hope SPCA spokesman Belinda Abraham said that the 18 dogs have already been put down.Last year six suspected poachers were arrested. They usually come from areas close to the nature reserves but in some cases, said Van der Merwe, the dogs were transported "a considerable distance across the Cape Flats" to hunt.Poachers are notoriously difficult to prosecute. Other than the pending case against the three suspects, the others arrested last year were released owing to a lack of evidence. "Poachers are crafty and operate after hours," he said.In order to hunt protected wild animals in the Western Cape, a hunting licence is required during the hunting season and a permit is required to hunt outside the hunting season. In both cases the landowner must have written permission.No hunting is allowed in any protected areas managed by Cape Nature..