Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve Forensics organised a week-long K9 Workshop at Rhinoland Park in the Burapahar Range to enhance wildlife crime investigations and field operations.

The training, held from October 24 to 30, was inaugurated by Field Director Sonali Ghosh, who said the initiative aimed to improve the skills of forest K9 handlers and make investigations more scientific.

Five handlers from the Assam Forest Department and the Assam Forest Protection Force participated in the programme along with three trained contraband detection dogs. Ghosh said the workshop was designed to strengthen confidence, knowledge, and field preparedness among handlers while simultaneously upgrading the dogs’ capabilities.

The sessions included advanced obedience, scent-detection drills, wildlife forensics, first aid for dogs, and mock patrols with simulated crime scenes. These practical exercises helped the teams develop stronger coordination during real-life wildlife crime operations.

The workshop was organised in collaboration with the Scent Library for Conservation, founded by conservation cynologist and dog trainer Kartik Thevar. The Scent Library focuses on developing a national standard for wildlife detection dog training as per the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) K9 Cell guidelines, ensuring evidence gathered through such operations is admissible in court.

By creating a scent database and scientific training modules, the Scent Library supports efforts to make wildlife crime investigations more reliable and legally sound. The week-long workshop concluded with evaluations and discussions to aid future deployments and strengthen forest enforcement teams in protecting endangered species.