Two Belgian Malinois Dogs Had Been Recruited To Patrol The Asola Wildlife Sanctuary

New Delhi: Delhi’s forest and wildlife department are putting together a dog squad to patrol the Asola Bhatti wildlife sanctuary and prevent poaching and other illegal activities in the park, and a crackdown on the trade in prohibited wildlife items through railway stations and interstate bus terminals, officials aware of the matter have said.

The officials said that two Belgian Malinois dogs had been recruited initially, with more to be added based on the requirement. Nisheeth Saxena, chief wildlife warden of Delhi, said the dog squad is currently being treated as a pilot project.

“The two Belgian Malinois will be trained for two months before they are handed over to the forest and wildlife department. Since our mandate is to stop poaching and check wildlife trafficking, the dogs will be trained in enforcement strategies related to these two aspects only,” said Saxena.

In an August 5 letter to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Saxena asked for the formalities to be completed at the earliest. “With reference to an earlier letter dated July 21, 2022, this department requests you to kindly assist in the codal formalities for the development of the dog squad in this department. Kindly share all the necessary steps to be taken for the procurement, training, and handling of the dog squad,” the letter said.

Belgian Malinois are known for their ability to sniff out explosives, narcotics, poachers, and trafficked items such as wildlife trophies or live animals from several kilometers away. A Belgian Malinois was also part of the US Navy Seals team, which raided Osama Bin Laden’s Abbottabad lair in Pakistan.

A team of dogs from the same breed has also been deployed for an anti-poaching K9 unit at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. A senior forest department official said the dogs would primarily be deployed at the Asola Bhatti wildlife sanctuary to prevent poaching and trespassing.

Though no poaching incidents have been reported at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary so far, the sanctuary has a healthy population of the golden jackal, and at least five leopards have been spotted there. Moreover, the forest department has been strengthening and repairing the broken boundary walls over the last year, following several incidents of smuggling illicit liquor through Asola.