A Nose for the Missing: Samba’s Search in Rasuwa

Rasuwa, Nepal – For days after the Rasuwa floods, rescuers have been searching through mud, rubble and the remains of collapsed buildings for people who are still missing.

In some of those searches, they have had help from Samba, a Labrador barely two years old.

Trained to detect the scent of human remains, Samba was brought to Rasuwa from Kathmandu on August 26, shortly after the floods struck.

He has since been deployed in Timure, Ghatte Khola, Betrawati, Dhunge Bazaar and Devighat.

According to his handlers, Samba has helped locate between 18 and 20 human bodies during disaster-response operations.

The work is demanding even for a trained search dog.

Flood debris has left some areas buried under thick layers of mud, while collapsed structures make it difficult for rescuers to determine where to start digging.

Samba relies on his sense of smell.

When he picks up a scent, his behaviour changes.

He slows down, focuses on one area and may sit or paw at the ground. His handlers watch for those signs before directing teams to begin digging.

Search dogs can detect the scent of human remains several feet below the surface, although the depth and accuracy of a search depend on factors including soil, weather and the condition of the site.

Samba is not working alone.

He has been deployed alongside Mike, a German Shepherd and Badie, a Cocker Spaniel, as rescue teams continue searches in areas that remain difficult to access.

Their work comes as families across the flood-hit districts continue to wait for news of missing relatives.

For some, finding a body brings painful confirmation.

But it also ends days or weeks of uncertainty and allows families to begin the process of mourning.

Samba has been moving from one search site to another since his deployment.

He was taken to other affected locations as well.

The long days in the field have taken a toll.

Samba has recently developed a mild cold and his caretaker, Armed Police Force personnel Sitaram Koirala, says he is being given time to rest and recover.

Koirala has spent much of the operation working alongside Samba.

To him, the dog is not simply part of the equipment used in a rescue operation.

He is a member of the team.

As the recovery effort continues in Rasuwa, Samba’s work offers rescuers another way to search through the places where people and machines cannot easily tell them where to dig.