GUWAHATI

One of Assam’s sharpest wildlife guard dogs retired from service on India’s 80th Independence Day.

Leon, a Belgian Malinois, tracked wildlife crime suspects, assisted in anti-poaching operations, and guarded some of Assam’s most precious fauna. The highlight of his career was guiding Assam Forest Department and police personnel to a rhino poacher after following the suspect’s scent trail for nearly 20 km across several forest camps and security checkpoints during the 2019 floods.

On Saturday (August 15, 2026), the Forest Department and police retired Leon with official honours in recognition of his service since joining field duty in November 2018.

Leon has been a key member of biodiversity conservation group Aaranyak’s K9 Sniffer Dog Squad, assigned duties for the Forest Department and the police in and around protected areas. He was entrusted with keeping wildlife crimes in check across the 1,302 sq. km. Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

“Working alongside his handlers, Anil Kumar Das and Mrigen Das, he became much more than a working dog and emerged as a vigilant guardian of Kaziranga’s natural heritage,” a statement from the group read.

Leon underwent an intensive 12-month specialised training programme to become eligible for field duty. Over the years, he conducted more than 200 patrols and participated in more than 30 specialised tactical operations, working closely with frontline personnel from the Forest Department and the State police.

Among his other achievements was helping forest personnel track down and apprehend four suspected poachers following the discovery of a deer carcass at Bokakhat in 2023. The administrative headquarters of Kaziranga National Park is at Bokakhat, a town in Golaghat district.

One of Leon’s last missions was assisting the Assam Police in cracking a high-profile gold theft case in Golaghat town in 2025. His intervention, demonstrating the versatility of his scent-tracking skills beyond forest boundaries, led to the arrest of four persons involved in the burglary.

Published - August 16, 2026 06:56 pm IST