Kaziranga’s ‘super sniffer’ K9 Leon retires after eight years on anti-poaching duty

After nearly eight years of tracking suspects and assisting anti-poaching operations, K9 Leon, a Belgian Malinois known as Kaziranga’s “super sniffer”, has retired from active service.

Leon retired on August 15 after a career spent supporting wildlife protection and crime investigations across Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

After completing a 12-month specialised training programme, Leon joined active service in November 2018. Over the years, he undertook more than 200 patrols and participated in over 30 specialised operations alongside personnel of the Assam Forest Department and Assam Police.

One of his notable operations came during the devastating floods of 2019, when Leon tracked a suspect’s scent for nearly 20 km across several forest camps and security checkpoints. His tracking helped authorities identify and apprehend a suspected rhino poacher.

In 2023, following the recovery of a poached deer carcass in Bokakhat, Leon helped frontline forest personnel locate crucial evidence and track down four suspected poachers.

His scent-tracking abilities were also used beyond wildlife crime. In 2025, Leon assisted Assam Police in investigating a gold theft case in Golaghat town, helping investigators identify and arrest four suspects.

Throughout his service, Leon worked with handlers Anil Kumar Das and Mrigen Das, supporting operations in challenging weather and difficult terrain.

Leon has been supported by NABU International since 2017 as part of efforts to strengthen wildlife crime prevention and enforcement.

Following his retirement, the Aaranyak K9 Sniffer Dog Squad, Assam Forest Department and Assam Police expressed gratitude for his service in protecting Kaziranga’s wildlife, including the endangered greater one-horned rhinoceros.

Aaranyak said Leon would continue to receive proper care during his retirement, marking the end of an eight-year frontline career in Assam’s wildlife conservation efforts.

(Inputs from ANI)