Forest dept’s sniffer dog dies after being run over by govt bus in Pollachi

COIMBATORE: Bhairava, a forest department sniffer dog in the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), was fatally run over by a govt bus when it was trying to chase stray dogs on the Meenkarai Road in Pollachi on Saturday morning.

The three-year-old Doberman had been associated with the ATR since August 2023. Bhairava played a vital role in tracing the body of Roshini, the four-year-old daughter of a guest worker from Jharkhand, who was killed by a leopard in Valparai in June. According to a forest department official, Bhairava was undergoing a walking exercise on the campus of the deputy director’s office around 7am. It spotted a pack of stray dogs outside the campus. To chase the stray dogs, Bhairava broke free from the forest watcher’s control and ran out of the campus. It was hit by a govt bus. The dog died on the spot."Bhairava was actively involved in identifying sand smugglers, which was his routine duty. The death was unfortunate and truly heartbreaking," the official said.