Global News - August 2008
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German airport authorities turn to dogs to curb wildlife smuggling
Fri 22 August 2008 13:00 UK — Europe
Authorities at Frankfurt Airport in Germany have revealed that they have trained a number of dogs in their bid to curb wildlife smuggling through the hub.
The Associated Press reported that the two new dogs that have joined the team at the German airport are the first in the country specifically trained to sniff out live animals, plants and other illegal goods.
In a demonstration, one of the dogs was able to identify which of 15 suitcases contained a live iguana.
After going through a ten-week, £15,000 training program, it is believed that the dogs can now identify 16 specific smells, including feathers, leathers, reptiles, caviar, coral, ivory and bone.
Dieter Keller, the main dog trainer for the regional border police, explained to the news agency: "After working with border police dogs for 30 years, I'm always surprised at what they can smell.
"I have a mixed heart about [the airport scheme]. On the one hand I hope the dogs are very successful and make a lot of finds. On the other hand I hope they send a signal to all the people that are thinking of smuggling, discouraging them from coming through Frankfurt Airport."
Last year, police seized over 6,000 live animals that people were trying to smuggle through Frankfurt Airport.
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