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Bengal

Sniffer dog squad undergoes 7-day refresher course

Jalpaiguri: Sniffer dogs play an essential role in combating various crimes in forest areas, including the trafficking of wildlife and its body parts. To strengthen the sniffer dog squad, a seven-day refresher course was conducted at the Murti camp of the Gorumara Wildlife Division, concluding on Monday.

According to the Forest department, criminal activities such as poaching and the smuggling of wildlife and forest products frequently occur in the forest areas of North Bengal. Sniffer dogs are crucial in preventing these activities. They are highly effective in patrolling and checkpoint operations, accurately identifying miscreants.

The seven-day refresher course saw participation from several sniffer dogs: Tiger and Sylvie from Buxa Tiger Reserve (East), Umla from Buxa Tiger Reserve (West), Sheena and Trophy from Jaldapara Division, Limpsi from Darjeeling Wildlife Division and Orlando from Gorumara Wildlife Division. Dwijaa Pratim Sen, Divisional Forest Officer of Gorumara Wildlife Division, said: “The seven sniffer dogs completed the course through a variety of activities.

It can also be considered a drill to prepare them for emergency situations, testing their sense of smell and physical abilities. They need to perform tasks such as searching cars and recovering suspicious items from human bodies.

We often receive reports of unscrupulous traders smuggling items on trains or buses. In such cases, the department relies on sniffer dogs to search for smugglers or prevent poaching in the forest.

Our sniffer dog Orlando at the Gorumara Wildlife Division is quite capable of these tasks, but sniffer dogs are also working tirelessly in other forest areas of North Bengal. This has significantly strengthened overall forest security management.”

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