K9 dog squad tracking poachers in Assam

Guwahati: A trained dog squad in Assam, billed as the first of its kind in the country, is helping to track poachers in the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of the state and assist forest security personnel in their conservation efforts.

The nation's first dog squad for wildlife crimes was set up in Assam under the initiative of biodiversity organization Aaranyak' in 2011 with one male Belgian Malinois named Zorba.

The dog squad known as the 'K9 unit' has over the years evolved into a 'very efficient and well-trained one" in tracking down wildlife crimes, said Bibhab Talukdar, the secretary general of the body which has undertaken the effort.

The squad, set up in 2011 by biodiversity organisation 'Aranyak'' with only one Belgian Malinois, now has seven dogs with more than one handler for each of them. Two other dogs are undergoing training, Talukdar told.

Zorba, the first canine of the squad, is credited with helping to nab 60 poachers, 50 of them in Kaziranga National Park, which is known globally for its one-horned rhinos. The dog had served mostly in Kaziranga NP from 2012 till his retirement from service in 2019. On Independence Day that year he was honoured with a traditional 'gamosa' and a citation.