The Bandipur Tiger Reserve authorities, who were searching for a pair of Mudhol Hound dogs to help them to detect forest crimes, have purchased two puppies of the breed, a few days ago.
A pair of puppies, a male and a female, have been brought from Canine Research and Information Centre, in Thimmapur, near Mudhol, in Bagalkot district.
As 'Rana', the sniffer dog, belonging to German Shepherd breed is on the verge of retirement, the Forest department decided to bring two pups of Mudhol Hound breed and train it under Rana, to help them in detecting forest crimes in future.
The Mudhol Hound breed, of Karnataka origin, had recently become more popular after being inducted by the Indian Army in several units for operations and daily routines. This breed is said to be highly resistant to diseases and has good eye vision.
Forest officials, who felt that Mudhol Hound is suitable for protecting the forests, started a search and bought this pair of puppies from the Canine centre for Rs 27,000.
Assistant Conservator of Forests, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Ravi Kumar said that Bandipur Tiger Reserve director T Balachandra had suggested Mudhol Hound breeds as it was very helpful for protecting the forest and its resources. Accordingly, they had purchased a pair of puppies.
The Forest department personnel are taking care of these two white coloured puppies. Rana was trained for 11 months at Bhopal. However, the department is yet to take a decision on this. "There are plans to train it either in Bengaluru or Mysuru, and we are searching for a training centre", Ravi Kumar said.
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