Nature and Parks Authority search dog in action
(Video: Ram Farbizor)
Four months after Hamas' murderous attack on October 7, search and rescue dogs trained by the Nature and Parks Authority discovered human remains near Kibbutz Be’eri and close to Kisufim. These body parts were located in open areas and hadn’t been identified until now.
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In fact, the search by IDF forces for the remains of victims of the attack in the Western Negev continues even today along the Gaza border. As the days go by, the task becomes increasingly difficult due to the conditions of the remains that are found.
The IDF turned to the Nature and Parks Authority for aid in locating human remains using the authority's search and rescue dogs. Previously, the military used tagged vultures that pointed out the location of the remains.
The Nature and Parks Authority allocated several dogs for the military’s mission in southern Israel. These dogs – Jango, Andy, and Edu – are at the forefront of searches in the area. "These dogs have special skills unlike any other search and rescue dogs because they’re skilled at finding remains of animals in the field," explained Ilan Jaeger, head of operations at the authority.
"Sometimes, the size of the remains is less than a centimeter. These are skills that no other dogs have in the country. Using them, we reached a resolution that retrospectively serves us for this sacred mission," he added.
At the beginning of the war, one of the authority’s dog trainers assisted the military forces in the field voluntarily. The IDF requested more dogs from him, and he referred them to the Nature and Parks Authority.
"We’re working very hard," Jaeger said. "Since October, there has been a threefold increase in the number of animal poisonings we’ve seen. We still don't know the reason for it. For months, we’ve been operating throughout the day and night."
“Despite the long time that passed and the many forces that have already scanned these areas, we located new findings quickly. In the initial scans, the dogs managed to find human remains 200 meters from one of the communities close to the Gaza border,” he explained.
“Stained shirts were also found, which help in identifying DNA. We mark every finding we come across before the forces collect them. People need to understand – it's not over," Jaeger said.
The IDF established a task force for the recovery of bodies and the search for the missing and scattered findings in the area, under the command of Col. (Res.) Yossi Cohen. "This is an immense effort by the IDF and the State of Israel, in which thousands of people have been conducting extensive searches and using various capabilities to locate every missing person,” he said.
“Among other things, the Nature and Parks Authority has joined the effort, operating dogs alongside our search forces in a significant and effective effort," Cohen added.