Ongoing Search... Military Dog Missing While Searching for Four Siblings Surviving in the Amazon

Missing Presumed While Moving Between Rescue Team and Children
2 Weeks Passed... Well-Trained, Survival Possible

The operation to rescue the four siblings who went missing in the Amazon jungle, called 'Esperanza (Hope),' is not over yet. The four siblings miraculously returned alive after 40 days, but the military dog that played a decisive role in their rescue is still missing.

On the 17th (local time), according to the American daily The Washington Post (WP), the Colombian military posted on Twitter on the 16th, "No one is left behind. Our commander has ordered the search for the military dog 'Wilson' to continue," along with a picture of Wilson draped in the Colombian flag like a cape.

Colombian military's post on Twitter about military dog 'Wilson' search [Image source=Yonhap News]

Wilson, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, played a crucial role in the Colombian military's discovery of the four missing siblings in the Amazon on the 9th. After the plane carrying the siblings crashed on the 1st of last month, Wilson led the soldiers to the location where the fuselage had fallen and later found a baby bottle that became a clue in the search for the siblings. Additionally, Wilson guided the search team along paths that could reach the four siblings?Leslie Mukutui (13), Soleini (9), Tien (5), and Christine (1)?using his keen sense of smell.

Wilson, who was always focused on his mission with his nose close to the ground to catch scents, disappeared at some point and has been missing for two weeks now. Colombian President Gustavo Petro mentioned Wilson at a press conference, saying, "We lost the dog who was with the children during the search process." Carolina Rodriguez, spokesperson for the Colombian military dog training center, said, "The children said Wilson stayed with them for a while before leaving," adding, "Wilson probably left after finding the children to find his handler but got lost."

On the 17th of last month (local time), Colombian military dog Wilson is searching for items in the Amazon forest.
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

Edgar Pontecha, a Colombian military dog trainer who raised Wilson since he was a puppy, told WP, "Many search dogs get lost while focusing on the search," and added, "We do not know why Wilson has not returned." Although quite some time has passed, the Colombian military still hopes for Wilson's safe return. To help Wilson continue eating, they have placed food at strategic points and left the handler's clothes, which carry familiar scents, to help Wilson remember.

Wilson, who participated in the search operation for over a month in the dense jungle, always led the rescue team. At some point, Wilson ran off alone, and as the search team followed his tracks, they eventually reached the location of the children. However, Wilson had already disappeared by then. Pontecha said, "A well-trained dog like Wilson can survive for a long time even in such an environment, and Wilson may still be diligently searching for the children," expressing hope without giving up.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.