One of Assam’s sharpest wildlife guard dogs retires
Leon, a Belgian Malinois and member of the K9 Sniffer Dog Squad, has retired after years of service protecting Assam's wildlife. He was instrumental in tracking poachers in Kaziranga National Park and assisting police in various tactical operations.
Why it matters
The retirement highlights the critical role of specialized canine units in biodiversity conservation and anti-poaching efforts within protected national reserves.
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.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in