Belgian Malinois Zorba helped track 60 poachers in Assam wildlife areas
The first dog in India's first wildlife crime K9 unit died in Guwahati in November 2022.
Zorba, a Belgian Malinois and member of the Aaranyak K9 unit, died in Guwahati on November 21, 2022, at the age of 12, according to a Times of India report. The dog was part of India's first dog squad dedicated to wildlife crime and served as an anti-poaching asset in Assam.
During his eight-year career, Zorba helped law enforcement agencies track down more than 60 poachers, including approximately 50 in Kaziranga National Park. He was deployed in several protected areas, including Orang National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.
The dog's work included following a blood trail left by an injured suspect for nearly 1.5 km and recovering a camera trap from a pond. The recovered device contained photographs of poachers that helped authorities make arrests.
Zorba's handler, Goura Baidya, told Mongabay that once the dog began tracking a scent, he was unstoppable. In Orang, the dog followed a scent from a crime scene to a house outside the park, which helped officials identify a residence and arrest an accused person.
Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, secretary general and chief executive of Aaranyak, described the dog as a conservation hero. Zorba was relieved of active duty in December 2019 and was honoured with a citation and a traditional Assamese gamosa on Independence Day in August 2022.
The K9 unit, established by the biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak in 2011, had grown to seven dogs by August 2022. Zorba died following age-related health problems.