Bandipur: Bandipur Tiger Reserve, known for its abundant tiger and elephant populations, has now become home to the country’s first tracker dog training centre. The centre is aimed at curbing forest-related crimes such as poaching, timber theft, elephant poaching for tusks, and illegal wildlife trade. A dedicated canine force is being trained to help detect such crimes and assist in apprehending perpetrators.

Currently, 10 Belgian Malinois dogs are undergoing training at this centre. This breed of dogs is highly skilled at detecting drugs, bombs, and gas leaks, among other criminal activities. Their exceptional sniffing abilities are being harnessed to track and prevent forest crimes. Expert trainers are imparting specialized skills to the dogs, and 20 staff members, with two handlers assigned to each dog, are being trained to care for them.

The dogs are being trained to detect various forest-related contraband such as animal bones, skins, tusks, and organs, as well as precious woods like sandalwood and red sandalwood. After completing 10 months of training, these tracker dogs will be deployed in several tiger reserves, including Bandipur, Nagarhole, Kali, Bhadra, and BR Hills, with two dogs assigned to each reserve.

These highly skilled Belgian Malinois dogs, known for their agility and intelligence, will soon join the team in preserving the state’s five tiger reserves. Their involvement in wildlife conservation will significantly enhance efforts to combat poaching and other illegal activities in protected forest areas.