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Colombian Military Searches For Heroic Dog Who Helped Find Children In The Amazon Jungle
BOGOTA, Colombia -- With his powerful snout and his pointy ears, Wilson became a national hero in Colombia when he helped the military find four Indigenous children who survived a plane crash and were lost in the Amazon jungle for 40 days.
Paw prints from the military-trained search dog led trackers to the children earlier this month. But the Belgian Shepherd went missing during the search and is now himself the target of a sophisticated rescue operation that started soon after the four young survivors were flown on a helicopter to Bogota.
The Colombian military says it has left 70 soldiers in the dense swath of jungle around the crash site to look for its beloved search dog. And commanders have vowed not to leave the remote area until soldiers return home with the star pup.
It's been a month since Wilson got lost in the rainforest, and its hard to know if the 2-year-old dog is still alive. But the sniffer dog's rescue would lift the spirits of many Colombians and add a heartwarming exclamation point to a survival story that already has captivated the world.
"For us it was an honor that our canine helped to find those children" said Sgt. Luis Fernando Sena, the commander of the canine school where Wilson was trained for 14 months in Bogota.
"It would be great news for the country and for our children if he can be found," Sena said.
Wilson graduated from the canine academy in February and was taken to the Tolemaida air force base, where he joined Colombia's special forces. Wilson and four more sniffer dogs were taken to the rainforest in May to find the single-engine Cessna plane that had crashed into the rainforest, carrying the four children and three adults who later were found dead.
When the small plane was found, and the search party realized the children could still be alive, Wilson's handler gave him some clothes to sniff to track down the kids.
The sniffer dog got separated form the search party May 18 after he sped off into the forest following a scent. Ten days later, the military found footprints of the children next to his paw prints. Those clues helped them to get closer to the area where the children were found June 9, said Gen. Pedro Sanchez, who led the rescue effort.
"The children spoke to us and confirmed that the dog was with them for two or three days" Sanchez told Colombia's W radio.
The children are still recovering in the hospital and have not spoken to the press. But recently 13 year-old Lesly Mucutuy, who is the oldest child in the group, drew a picture of the rainforest that included a black- and coffee-colored dog, which looks like Wilson.
Last week, Colombia's military said that it brought two female dogs in heat to the area around the crash site in the hopes of luring Wilson towards the search party. Food has also been placed for the dog at several points around the crash site as well as clothes belonging to his handler, hoping that their scent can guide Wilson back to safety.
But some experts believe that Wilson may have already perished in the rainforest, where a dog might struggle to find food and also risks attacks from poisonous snakes.
"It's a tough situation" said Mark Lee, a Colombian dog trainer and radio host who has 13 pups at home, including a 10-year-old Belgian Shepherd. "I don't see a Belgian Malinois eating fruits and leaves in the forest or trying to catch an animal to survive. And I wouldn't see that in a dog that is used to having his food in his bowl at regular hours."
Still, Colombia continues to root for the stranded pup: Wilson's name has become a popular hashtag on social media sites, with his fans posting messages that urge the military to continue the search. The dog's story has led national news shows. And a spiritual coach who claims she can speak with animals, recently posted a viral video on TikTok, where she urges her followers to thank Wilson for the job he did and "send light" to the dog so that he can find his way home -- if that is what his soul desires.
At the canine academy in Bogota, Wilson's comrades said that the dog is highly trained and accustomed to overcoming physical obstacles. But ultimately it will have to rely on its instincts to survive.
"He is very energetic and always stood out because of his strength, his energy and his strong temperament" said Elvis Porras, a trainer who helped to raise Wilson and worked with the dog until he graduated from the academy earlier this year.
"He is a distant relative of wolves, so I hope his instinct to hunt will help him to survive."
Expert Warns Which Dog Breed Could Be The Fifth Added To The Banned List
A dog obedience expert has revealed what breed he thinks could be the fifth to be banned in the United Kingdom.
Currently there are four breeds of dog that are banned in the UK - Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro.
And Jacob Morgan, founder and trainer of the YorkshireCanineAcademy.Co.Uk, believes another name could soon be added to that list.
Jacob has trained more than 2,500 dogs and owns five, reports WalesOnline. But there's one dog he thinks most people should not buy, and that comes from first hand experience having owned one.
Jacob says: "Just this week I have seen five Belgian Malinois dogs looking to be re-homed via Facebook. This is frightening to see as it shows people are buying this breed of dog and not being able to care for them.
"My Belgian Malinois puppy, Stark, is 15 weeks old, and I'm with him most of the day while I train our clients' dogs. But I also have members of staff who can also make sure Stark is getting stimulated by giving him an activity to do every hour. Even as a dog trainer, if it was just me looking after Stark, I'd struggle."
Often confused with the short-haired shepherd, the Belgian Malinos has traditionally been used as a herding dog. Highly intelligent, athletic and highly energetic, they have been made famous through films such as John Wick, and Dog with Channing Tatum.
They have also been seen leaping over walls in videos online, working for SAS and police forces all over the world.
The Belgian Malinois can grow to around 30kg, and life expectancy is 14-16 years. The breed has a high prey drive, and without adequate socialisation and training, they will chase small animals, vehicles or children.
Jacob said: "I planned to get a Belgian Malinois puppy for two years. I'd chosen his name before I found the right breeder, as there are so many people breeding for profit over health and the right personality traits. I can confidently say the Belgian Malinois is not a family pet and especially if you have a full time job, you don't have time for this breed.
"It takes thousands of hours of training to make a Belgian Malinois a 'regular dog'. So many are being bred to have a 'nervy edge', which is being mistaken for a willingness to protect.
"This breed has strong herding and guarding instincts, and genetics make it need to chase and bite things. If an owner is not providing an outlet like the training shown in our video, the dogs can become anxious and lash out at their owners."
Jacob added: "It's a perfect storm happening right now and I'm sure it won't be long until the breed is banned altogether. Through no fault of their own, it will be the fault of the thoughtless breeders and those owners who haven't done their research properly."
Belgian Malinos puppies can be found on sale for £650. Google Trends shows a 50% increase in them over the past 12 months alone.
Jacobsays he plans to compete in suitable sports with Stark when he's older, in competitions such as Shutzhund, a dog sport that tests tracking, obedience and protection skills, and evaluates if a dog has the appropriate traits and characteristics of a good working dog.
Lucky Ducks! German Shepherd Takes On Parenting Role For Abandoned Ducklings: 'Very Protective'
A dog has become an unexpected caretaker of some baby ducks after his owner brought in the abandoned animals.
Ben is a German shepherd from Motueka, New Zealand.
He recently stepped into the role of "surrogate dad," according to his owner Julie McGuire.
The ducklings were found by local orchard workers, said McGuire — and had been abandoned by their mother duck, as SWNS reported.
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After waiting with the ducks in a stream for eight hours, hoping the mother would return, McGuire decided to take the ducklings in and take care of them.
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"They were spotted by orchard workers and were watched for the next eight hours with no [mom] coming back," she told SWNS.
Once McGuire brought the small ducklings home, Ben the dog took a real liking to the animals, she said.
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McGuire noted that before these ducklings came into their home, Ben had an adult duck friend — but one day last year, the adult duck flew away and never returned.
McGuire said she believes Ben feels he needs to make a good impression on the new pets.
McGuire told SWNS that Ben will watch over the ducklings as they sleep, eat, play and bathe.
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He will also bark and chase off the family cat if the feline gets too close to the baby ducks.
"He watches over them and makes sure the cat doesn't get too close," she said.
McGuire told SWNS that she is taking care of the animals for now — but if they decide to fly away one day, she wouldn't be upset.
"They deserve the best life, and I am just happy we could help some of them survive, and Ben has had fun with them growing up," she said.
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McGuire even started a TikTok account on behalf of Ben and the ducklings — @life.Of.Duck.
With over 100,000 followers at the time of this report, the page has loads of content from Ben and his ducklings — as well as of Ben and the adult duck that flew away last year.
Fox News Digital reached out to McGuire for further comment about the pets in her household.
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