Assam’s top wildlife sniffer dog Leon retires with honours

Leon, a Belgian Malinois and one of Assam's sharpest wildlife guard dogs, retired from service on India's 80th Independence Day (August 15, 2026) with official honours from the Forest Department and police. He served for nearly eight years as a member of biodiversity conservation group Aaranyak's K9 Sniffer Dog Squad, working in Kaziranga National Park and beyond.

The highlight of Leon's career was tracking a rhino poacher's scent for nearly 20 km across forest camps and security checkpoints during the 2019 floods, leading to the suspect's capture. He also helped apprehend four suspected poachers after a deer carcass was found at Bokakhat in 2023. In his last major mission in 2025, he assisted Assam Police in solving a high-profile gold theft case in Golaghat town, leading to four arrests.

Over his career, Leon conducted more than 200 patrols and participated in over 30 specialised tactical operations. He underwent 12 months of intensive training before field duty, which began in November 2018. His handlers were Anil Kumar Das and Mrigen Das.