Dog-handlers from six different States of Uttaranchal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh will undergo a six-month-long dog-handling programme at Bhopal beginning from October 1.

As per the new programme, an NGO named ‘Traffic India’ will provide two sniffer dogs to each of the State Forest departments to help them detect wildlife crime activities in the State national parks.

Informing about the programme, SK Sharma, Chief Forest Conservator, Wildlife and Biodiversity said, “People belonging to the forest department would undergo the dog-handling training programme. The six-month long programme has been organised by the NGO, ‘Traffic India’ in collaboration with the Ministry of Forest and Wildlife Conservation.”

Sharma added, “The NGO would later provide the squad of sniffer dogs to the State forest department to prevent wildlife crimes related to poaching, smuggling of wildlife trophies such as tiger skin, tusks etc.”

“The sniffer dogs will help in safeguarding the national parks and sensitive inter-State boundary areas, mainly in areas of Betla and Dalma National Park in Jharkhand. The training given to the dog-handlers would help them locate the place of crime activities through these sniffer dogs”, added Sharma.

“The dog-handlers will be deployed soon after they complete the training session. The dogs will also be handed over to them for care and supervision. The State forest department will bear the financial charges for the dog squad after they would be handed to the respective States”, informed Sharma.

Extra dogs, if required for any case, would be demanded from the police headquarters.