GUWAHATI
Leon, a Belgian Malinois, tracked wildlife crime suspects, assisted in anti-poaching operations, and guarded some of Assam’s most precious fauna. 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. Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. His intervention, demonstrating the versatility of his scent-tracking skills beyond forest boundaries, led to the arrest of four persons involved in the burglary.
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. He was entrusted with keeping wildlife crimes in check across the 1,302 sq. km. 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. One of Leon’s last missions was assisting the Assam Police in cracking a high-profile gold theft case in Golaghat town in 2025.
