Sniper dogs to combat wildlife crimes in Dalma Sanctuary Jamshedpur

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur: To curb the rising wildlife crimes in Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, the Forest Department has decided to deploy sniper dogs to assist in the detection and prevention of illegal activities. The sanctuary has seen several instances of wildlife poaching, including the hunting and killing of endangered species like elephants, tigers, leopards, and pangolins.

The use of sniper dogs, known for their excellent tracking abilities, will aid forest officials in identifying poachers and wildlife criminals. These trained sniffer dogs are already being used in various parts of India, including Haryana and Uttarakhand, for similar purposes.

Training and preparation
The Forest Department has begun training its personnel in handling sniper dogs. The dogs, primarily breeds like German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, and Labrador, have a remarkable sense of smell—up to 100,000 times more sensitive than humans—making them ideal for detecting illegal wildlife products. These dogs are trained to locate substances like tiger and leopard skins, ivory, and animal horns.

By February, Dalma Sanctuary is expected to have its own sniffer dog to help combat wildlife crimes. The dogs are also being trained to identify other wildlife products, such as deer meat, live birds, and even snakes, porcupines, and turtles.

The role of forest workers
Forest workers are undergoing specialized training to work effectively with these dogs. The program also includes teaching them how to further train the dogs to recognize specific scents, ensuring that the sniffer dogs will be equipped to detect a variety of wildlife-related crimes.

DFO Saba Alam Ansari assured that all preparations have been made for the successful implementation of this initiative.