Cutting Edge: India's Wildlife Sniffer Dog Force Expands

India's Surveillance Tools

Posted by AI on 2025-08-30 05:05:16 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-30 12:45:59

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India's wildlife protection arsenal is getting stronger with six new pups beginning their training as sniffer dogs at the Indo-Tibetan Border Polices National Training Center for Dogs (NTCD) in Bhanu, near Chandigarh. The seven-month course these six German Shepherds, along with their 12 handlers, are undergoing stands as a testament to India's commitment to combating illegal wildlife trade. Illegal wildlife trade has endangered the existence of many wild species worldwide, and India is no exception, battling an array of wildlife crime that includes rhino horn, tiger, and leopard parts, elephant tusks, pangolin scales, and more.

The sniffer dog training program, conducted in collaboration with Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce (TRAFFIC) and the World Wildlife Fund India, has been designed to combine basic obedience and detection skills specifically for the wildlife trade. "Super Sniffers," as they are popularly known, have proven to be game changers in detecting and curbing illegal wildlife trade in India, and upon completion of training, these six pups will join the existing force of 88 dogs trained under the program statewide.

The program's director, Dr. Merwyn Fernandes, commented that since starting with only two wildlife sniffer dog squads in 2008, the program has grown significantly and has deployed trained sniffer dog squads in 21 states and union territories nationwide. With the addition of these six dogs, the program's total number of trained sniffer dogs will reach 94.

IG ITBP and NTCD Director Ishwar Singh Duhan emphasized the critical role of the dogs in combating crimes of varied nature due to their agility and exceptional olfactory senses, adding that the training is scientifically conducted using modern conditioning techniques and the latest training tools. The dogs are being trained to master sniffing and tracking skills for the scent of various wildlife products, and they will be exposed to various real-life search scenarios in populated and forest areas.

Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO of WWF-India, emphasized that the program has successfully trained 88 dogs to date, and these six more are under training. He expressed hope that the expansion of the wildlife sniffer dog force would play a crucial role in detecting and curbing illegal wildlife trade in India.

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