Dogs Search For Mines And Save People In Sudan

Too many years of civil wars in Sudan left much of its territory strewn with mines, which continue to inflict innocent casualties on a daily basis. That is why, once again, the man turned to his great friend, the dog, to be able to solve this serious problem.

Using dogs to detect land mines

Since 2008, and at the initiative of the veterinarian and trainer Muiz Ali Taha, a large number of dogs have been searching for mines in the African country using their great nose.

The professional, who had worked in the Communications Department of the United Nations Mine Action Office, immediately warned that dogs could be of great use to end this scourge that affects his country.

Thus, in 2006, he traveled to South Africa to select the most qualified animals for this task and immediately begin his training.

Since then, the dogs have been trained for around 6 months at the Al-Elafoon military base, on the outskirts of Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. Then, they start their homework in the assigned areas, always led by a guide.

How the dogs that look for mines in Sudan work

When the hound detects a landmine, it starts sniffing around a fixed point and then sits up. It is the signal for your human companion to place a red flag in the designated place.

Some dogs are so effective at this job that they can “clean” a surface area of ​​1,200 square meters in just 2 hours. When the survey and marking of the assigned area is finished, it is time for a deminer to remove and detonate the mines.

Mine detection, a way to save lives every day

Sudan’s landmine problem dates back to World War II but was undoubtedly compounded by the two extensive civil wars that ravaged the country.

The number of victims of mine explosions has risen to 2,000 in the last decade alone. Sadly, many of those killed, injured and maimed are children.

But the issue of landmines also brings great inconveniences to the Sudanese economy, especially due to the increase in transportation costs and times and the discouragement that the situation causes in investors.

The olfactory capacity of dogs

Smell is the most developed sense in dogs. It is estimated that they have an olfactory capacity between 10,000 and 100,000 times more powerful than that of humans.

This is because, while people have around 5 million olfactory cells in the nose, dogs have between 200 and 300 million.

Another peculiarity that contributes to the superior smell of the furry is that, in their nose, the inhaled and exhaled air do not mix. But in addition, the brain area dedicated to this sense is 40 times larger than ours.

The smell of the dog as a tool

The sense of smell of the dog is so developed that, the man, has known how to use it for different tasks, in addition to the detection of mines. For instance:

• Tracking people and lost property

• Detection of explosives, drugs, gas leaks, etc.
• Search for survivors or corpses under the rubble
• a hunting ctivity

Among the breeds of dogs that have a more developed sense of smell we can point out:

• Bloodhound
• Basset hound
• Beagle
• German shepherd
• Labrador retriever
• Belgian Malinois

An irreplaceable task

The work of these animals in Sudan, which has preserved the lives of many people, seems to be irreplaceable.

“I trust the work of a dog more than that of a mine cleaning machine,” said, for example, one of the guides who works with the dogs on a daily basis.

The truth is that dogs tirelessly continue with the laudable task of saving human lives and they do not stop showing us that they are our best friends.