Archive · 20 Aug 2026
K9 Leon Retires After Years Tracking Poachers Across Assam
Leon is a specially trained dog who worked with police and forest officers in Assam.
He used his very strong sense of smell to follow trails that people could not easily find.
In 2019, he tracked a suspected rhino poacher through floodwaters for almost 20 kilometres.
He later helped with a deer-killing investigation and a gold-theft case.
Leon worked on more than 200 patrols and over 30 special operations.
Dogs like Leon learn to find particular smells and receive rewards when they succeed.
Their handlers guide them and help turn the dogs’ signals into evidence.
Leon retired in August 2026 and will continue to receive care.
Belgian Malinois Leon retired from active service during Kaziranga’s Independence Day ceremony on 15 August 2026.
He completed more than 200 patrols and over 30 specialised operations in nearly eight years.
During the 2019 floods, Leon tracked a suspected rhino poacher for nearly 20 kilometres.
His work also helped investigators locate evidence in a 2023 deer-killing case and identify four suspects.
In 2025, Leon assisted Assam Police in a Golaghat gold-theft investigation that led to four arrests.
- Who
- K9 Leon, his handlers Anil Kumar Das and Mrigen Das, Aaranyak’s K9 Sniffer Dog Squad, the Assam Forest Department, Kaziranga authorities and Assam Police.
- What
- Leon retired after nearly eight years of service involving wildlife patrols, anti-poaching operations and criminal investigations.
- When
- Leon retired on 15 August 2026; his cited operations took place between 2019 and 2025.
- Where
- The work occurred across Assam, including Kaziranga, the Bokakhat area and Golaghat town.
- Why
- He was trained to detect scents and track suspects or evidence in difficult environments.
- Retirement date
- 15 August 2026
- Service duration
- Nearly eight years
- Patrols
- More than 200
- Specialised operations
- More than 30
- 2019 tracking case
- Leon followed a suspected rhino-poacher trail for nearly 20 kilometres during Kaziranga floods.
- 2023 investigation
- His tracking helped forest personnel locate evidence and led them to four suspected poachers after a deer carcass was found near Bokakhat.
- 2025 investigation
- Leon assisted Assam Police in a Golaghat gold-theft case that led to four alleged participants being arrested.