In a moment of pride, Dr. Dipankar Ghose announced the successful completion of training over 100 wildlife sniffer dogs in India. The wildlife sniffer dog training program, a joint initiative by TRAFFIC and WWF-India, began in 2008 with just two dogs and has since proven to be instrumental in the prevention and detection of wildlife crimes.
Dr. Ghose highlighted the important role sniffer dogs play in combating wildlife smuggling and illegal trade. The successful training of 12 new dogs along with their handlers marked a significant milestone in the program, with the young Belgian Malinois breed dogs undergoing seven months of specialized training at BTC-ITBP, Panchkula, Haryana.
The training program focused on establishing a strong bond between the dogs and their handlers, followed by obedience training and the development of sniffing and tracking skills. The dogs were trained to detect illegal wildlife products and participated in contraband detection drills to simulate real-life scenarios.
The new wildlife sniffer dog squads will be deployed across various forest departments in states such as Uttarakhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. Dr. Merwyn Fernandes expressed gratitude towards the training centers involved in the program, including BTC-ITBP, NTCD, and Special Armed Force Police Dog Training Centre.