A first: Dog squad tracks wild elephants in Hassan

Hassan: Forest department has introduced the Elephant Anti-Depredation Dog Squad (EaDDS) in Hassan to improve early warning and tracking of wild elephants. The system was used successfully for the first time on April 18 to rescue an elephant, said Hassan deputy conservator of forests Saurabh Kumar.Developed by conservation organisation A Rocha India, EaDDS aims to reduce human-elephant conflict by using trained Belgian Malinois dogs, officials said.According to A Rocha India, EaDDS is a science-based, collaborative conservation initiative that integrates trained canine units with govt-led field operations to enable safer coexistence between people and elephants in Karnataka. The initiative was developed in Bannerghatta to address rising human-elephant conflict.The dogs work alongside forest personnel during patrols and conflict-response operations. The project is currently deployed on a pilot basis in the Hassan Forest Division under the guidance of additional principal chief conservator of forests (Project Elephant), with the long-term goal of integration into forest department operations.The current focus is on improving detection time to strengthen response and intervention in human-elephant conflict situations.