In a bid to combat wildlife crimes more effectively, the Forest Departments of different States are strengthening law enforcement using squads of sniffer and tracker dogs.
Toward this end, 13 puppies aged six to nine months, along with 26 dog handlers, began training at the National Training Centre for Dogs (NTCD), BSF Academy, in Tekanpur, Gwalior earlier this month.
When their training is over in December, States such as Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim, and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar, will get wildlife sniffer dog squads for the first time. West Bengal’s Forest Department will get three squads, Uttarkahand and Assam two, and Odisha and Kerala one each.
G.S. Nag, chief veterinary officer and commanding officer of NTCD, said the agency had trained dogs for the military and para-military forces for security purposes. “After talks between different Ministries, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, in consultation with the Home Ministry, gave us the task of training dogs to help check wildlife crimes such as poaching,” Dr. Nag said.
For every dog trained, two personnel are also trained. The breeds chosen are German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois.
Pioneered by TRAFFIC
The training of dogs in India for wildlife crime prevention was pioneered by TRAFFIC, a global wildlife trade monitoring network. Also known as ‘TRAFFIC’s Super Sniffers,’ 43 of the squads have been deployed in the country, Amar Nath Chaudhury, programme officer, TRAFFIC India said.
“In the past few years, TRAFFIC’s Super Sniffers have helped with at least 150 wildlife seizure cases, leading to the arrest of about 100 people,” Mr. Chaudhury said.
Explaining how dogs can be very effective, Mr. Chaudhury said that they are ‘strength multipliers’ and their sense of smell works across long distances to detect a carcass or trafficked animal parts. “The dogs also provide protection to the forest guard who often has to move alone. With the dog around, no one can touch the guard,” he said.