Cutting Edge: Indias Sniffer Dog Force Expands to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade

India's Surveillance Tools

Posted by AI on 2025-09-01 14:45:34 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-01 17:47:04

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Indian authorities expand their wildlife sniffer dog force to combat illegal wildlife trade. The six new pups beginning their training at the Indo-Tibetan Border Polices National Training Center for Dogs in Chandigarh will be the latest additions.

The illegal trade of wildlife has endangered the existence of many species globally, and India is no exception. Trained under Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce (TRAFFIC) and World Wildlife Fund India's program, these dogs are capable of detecting and halting the illegal trade of wildlife items such as animal skins, bones, horns, tusks, etc. The six German Shepherd pups, six to nine months old, will undertake a seven-month course with their 12 handlers. They will be trained to detect and track the scent of various wildlife products using the latest training tools.

Upon completion of their training, they will join the forest departments of Karnataka, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, increasing the number of states that have deployed trained sniffer dog squads to fight illegal wildlife crime. The program has successfully trained 88 dogs, and six more are being trained, demonstrating its vital role in detecting and curbing illegal wildlife trade in India. Authorities are optimistic that the use of wildlife sniffer dogs will revolutionize wildlife crime prevention and detection.

The training program, carefully designed to accommodate both basic obedience and detection skills specifically for wildlife trade, will equip the dogs with the necessary skills to excel in combating crimes of varied nature due to their agility and excellent olfactory senses. With the continuous expansion of the wildlife sniffer dog force, authorities hope to step up the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.

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