How sniffer dogs are helping Telangana forest officials combat teak smuggling, animal poaching
In 2018, the Telangana Forest Department introduced a sniffer dog squad at the Kawal and Amrabad tiger reserves, under a pilot project. Forest officials claim over 40 poachers and timber smugglers have been arrested across the two reserves with the help of these canines.
In the Kawal Tiger Reserve of Telangana, Pendura Rajesh, a former forest watcher, found his teak smuggling racket brought to a sudden end when he was arrested earlier this month. What led to his identification and arrest was a towel found at the tree-felling site. The scent picked up from the towel helped the forest officers track the felled teak logs to Rajesh’s residence, resulting in...
In the Kawal Tiger Reserve of Telangana, Pendura Rajesh, a former forest watcher, found his teak smuggling racket brought to a sudden end when he was arrested earlier this month. What led to his identification and arrest was a towel found at the tree-felling site. The scent picked up from the towel helped the forest officers track the felled teak logs to Rajesh’s residence, resulting in his subsequent arrest. The hero of the hour? A year-old canine, aptly named Hunter. “It was the Belgian Malinois that had picked up Rajesh’s scent from the towel found at the felling site and led the team of investigators to the alleged culprit,” said the dog’s handler, Anil Kumar. Forest range officer Sushma Ravulu confirmed Rajesh’s arrest in a conversation with The Federal.
Taking a leaf out of canine squads used by police forces globally, the Telangana Forest Department in 2018 introduced a sniffer dog squad at the Kawal and Amrabad tiger reserves in the state under a pilot project, said A Shankaran, officer on special duty, Telangana Forest Department. The aim was to “curb teak wood smuggling and poaching”.
According to figures shared by Telangana Forest Minister Konda Surekha at a review meeting with forest officers at Hyderabad Zoo Park this month, “ 96,813 teak smuggling cases and 18,002 vehicle seizures were recorded between 2014–15 and 2025–26.
In 2019–20 alone, the department detected 9,000 cases, seizing teak worth ₹5.64 crore and collecting ₹10.61 crore in penalties”. Additionally, according to data from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, in the past eleven years (2014–2024), 135 cases of wildlife poaching have been recorded in Telangana. In 2023, 52 wild animals were killed by poachers, the data shows.
Since the canine squad was deployed, forest officials claim, over 40 poachers and timber smugglers have been arrested across Kawal and Amrabad reserves with the help of these sniffer dogs. Although forest surveillance systems exist, timber felling and illegal hunting often occur secretly at night. Now, specially trained dogs are being used to track offenders through scent and sound. These sniffer dogs have become a powerful new weapon in protecting forest wealth and wildlife.
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At present, Hunter, a trained Belgian Malinois, is deployed at the Kawal Tiger Reserve, and Bruno, a German Shepherd, served at the Amrabad Tiger Reserve before succumbing to a genetic kidney disorder in 2020, according to the dog’s handler Shivaprasad. He was four-and-a-half-years-old at the time of his death and had served at the Amrabad for two years. He had been brought in from the Border Security Force’s (BSF’s) canine unit in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, and helped solve over 20 smuggling and poaching cases before his death, sources in the Telangana forest department told The Federal. A replacement for Bruno is currently being trained at Gwalior’s BSF National Training Centre, said divisional forest officer Gopidi Rohit.
File photo of Bruno with forest officials at Amrabad reserve. Photo by special arrangement
Hunter was brought to Kawal Tiger Reserve in August this year, after the death of another sniffer dog who had previously served there, Cheetah, said handler Anil Kumar. “Cheetah had worked at the reserve between 2018 and 2024 and died aged eight,” Kumar added.
Talking about Hunter, Kumar added: “The Belgian Malinois breed has a sense of smell 200 times stronger than humans and hearing 20 times sharper. This makes Hunter exceptionally effective in locating offenders, though his eyesight is weaker, so night operations are limited”.
The dog had been brought in from the National Training Centre for Dogs and Animal Academy under the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Panchkula, Haryana. The Belgian Malinois had undergone seven months of intense training at the academy, winning third place for excellence at the national passing out parade. Dog and handler were trained together to catch poachers and smugglers. “ITBP commandants trained both the dog and its handlers.
Training included identifying the scent of blood, bones, and animal skin, locating hidden items, and developing agility, discipline, and scent-tracking skills. Handlers were also trained in walking, running, feeding routines, and scent detection exercises,” Kumar told The Federal.
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Since deployment, sniffer dogs have been participating in regular patrols with handlers across Kawal and Amrabad reserves. Whenever trees are felled, forest produce stolen, or animals hunted, the sniffer dogs are brought in to track culprits through objects left behind — shirts, towels, shoes, or bloodstains, say forest officials. The dogs follow the scent trail directly to the suspects, leading to arrests under the Telangana Forest Act, 1967.
File photo of Bruno checking the trunk of a car on the forest highway. Photo by special arrangement
Naresh (identified by a single name only) cited the example of how a poacher was caught by Bruno. “The incident took place in December 2020, when a 60-year-old poacher from BK Uppunuthala village killed a deer and hid its meat in a tree. Bruno traced the blood scent for two kilometers, found the meat, and helped officers arrest the [alleged] culprit,” Naresh recalled.
Meanwhile, Hunter has become a “legend — a protector of the jungle and an ally of forest rangers”, say forest officials.
“On October 13, forest officers on night patrol in the Jannaram range found teak trees felled by smugglers. Hunter sniffed a shirt found at the site, followed the scent, and led officers to [alleged] smuggler Rathod Hiralal’s house in Juvviguda village, where he was arrested along with two accomplices,” said Anil.
The canine follows a strict diet and workout regimen. “He wakes up at 5.30 am and does outdoor exercises, including running and agility drills. Every evening at 6pm, there is another round of workout sessions for him,” said Anil. He added: “Hunter follows a diet of boiled eggs, milk, rice and vegetables in the morning; boneless mutton and rice at night; snacks and treats during the day. Regular veterinary check-ups are conducted at the Veterinary University, Korutla.” The forest department has allotted the canine special quarters with cooling and heating.
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Today, sniffer dogs have become the eyes, ears, and nose of Telangana’s forest staff. Combining technology, human intelligence and animal training, the Telangana Forest Department is pioneering a new era in forest conservation, say officials.
While sources in the department told The Federal that a ‘Tiger Cell’, integrating intelligence networks, surveillance, camera-trap monitoring, is being set up to combat poaching at the reserves, officials added that expanding the dog squad across the state could help bring an end to teak smuggling and poaching.
While in the forest villages of Kawal reserve, a mere mention of Hunter’s name is enough to frighten smugglers and poachers, claim forest officials, at Amrabad, officials await the arrival of Bruno’s replacement to carry on the glorious work done by the German Shepherd in his lifetime. A name for the new dog will be decided once he arrives, officials there told The Federal.
