First anti-poaching dog, Zorba, dies at 12

Zorba, India’s first dog to be deployed for tracking down poachers, died in Guwahati due to old age. The 12-year-old male Belgian Malinois was a member of ‘K9’, the nation’s first dog squad for wildlife crimes. Zorba was the first dog of the squad and was credited with helping law enforcement nab over 60 poachers. He was given a warm farewell by wildlife activists and was buried in Guwahati on Tuesday. Zorba retired in 2019 and was honoured for his services with a traditional Assamese ‘gamosa’ and a citation on Independence Day this year.