BHUBANESWAR: Two sniffer dogs will now assist the patrolling squads of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in guarding the country’s fourth-largest big cat habitat.
Maya and Drona - the two canines of German Shepherd breed aged around 1.5 years, have been inducted into the squads after six months of training in wildlife protection at ITBP’s National Dog Training Centre, Bhanu in Chandigarh. The dog squad will help track poachers, find hidden guns, snares as well as other wildlife articles and incriminating materials, said deputy director of Similipal South Division Samrat Gowda.
Poachers often plant poisoned food deep inside forest to kill wild animals. Besides, they target water-bodies as animals use them to quench their thirst. This has always remained a major challenge for the forest staff.
Three Similipal staff have also been trained on handling the dog squad in the tiger reserve. Gowda said the dogs were given to STR by TRAFFIC India, a non-government organisation working closely with the government in the field of wildlife.
Sources said a sniffer dog had been brought to the tiger reserve five years back. However, after it died due to age-related ailments, Similipal did not have any dog in its canine squad in the recent years. At present, the newly trained dogs are being acclimatised to the tiger habitat to make patrolling more effective in the forest. Gowda said, if found feasible, more dogs will be added to the canine squad to assist protection squads in patrolling the tiger reserve.