Our work with super sniffers
From none in 2008 to 66 in 2018
Sniffer Dogs to help stop wildlife crime were identified as a critical need among wildlife experts, which is why WWF-India began training sniffer dogs in top dog training centres in India. These canines are trained to detect tiger bone and skin, leopard bone and skin, elephant tusk, bear bile and other smells. Till date, 7 batches (66 sniffer dogs along with handlers) have been trained and are actively serving. In the field, Super Sniffers have adapted their skill sets and are detecting an array of wildlife parts and derivatives including deer meat, live birds, snakes, porcupines, red sanders, turtles, tortoises among other wildlife.
FROM THE FIRST SNIFFER DOGS IN UTTARAKHAND AND HARYANA TO 19 STATES TODAY
Since 2008, the Super Sniffer programme has really grown with various state forest departments requisitioning these super heroes to help fight wildlife crime. Today Super Sniffer squads are active in Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal & Odisha.
From sniffing treats to 250+ wildlife part seizures
Its impossible to hide anything when Super Sniffers are around. Their super sensitive noses have 225 million scent receptors and that's why we are relying on them to protect India's wildlife. Their sniffing ability has been used to detect tiger bone and skin, leopard bone and skin, elephant tusk, bear bile and other smells.
Sniffing wildlife crime at airports
In December 2018, Sweety, a labrador, from our 7th batch of Super Sniffers has been commissioned to serve at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. With one batch being trained every 9 months, our Super Sniffers are getting ready to serve against wildlife trade at airports across India.
Every species saved is a win for future generations. #NurtureNature
