Colombian military continues search for heroic dog who helped find children in 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.

Pawprints 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 where flown on a helicopter to Bogota.

The Colombian military said it left 70 soldiers in the dense swath of jungle around the crash site to look for its beloved search dog. Commanders 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 Seña, commander of the canine school that trained Wilson for 14 months in Bogota.

“It would be great news for the country, and for our children if he can be found,” Seña 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 crashed into the rainforest carrying the four children and three adults. The adults later were found dead.

When the small plane was found, 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 dog got separated from the search party May 18 after he sped off into the forest following a scent. Ten days later, the military found the children’s footprints next to his pawprints. 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 recovering in a hospital and have not spoken to the news media. But recently, 13 year-old Lesly Mucutuy, the oldest child in the group, drew a picture of the rainforest that included a black-and-coffee colored dog that looks like Wilson.

Last week, Colombia’s military said it helicoptered two female dogs in heat to the area around the crash site in hopes of luring Wilson toward the search party. Food was placed at several points around the crash site as well as clothes belonging to Wilson’s handler, in hopes their scent can guide the dog back to safety.

Some experts believe Wilson may have perished in the rainforest, where a dog might struggle to find food and is at risk of attack from poisonous snakes.

“It’s a tough situation,” said Mark Lee, a Colombian canine trainer and radio host who has 13 dogs 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 became a popular hashtag on social media sites, with fans posting messages urging the military to continue the search. The dog’s story has led national news shows.

A spiritual coach who claims she can speak with animals recently posted a viral video on TikTok urging followers to thank and “send light” to the dog, so he can find his way home.

At the canine academy in Bogota, Wilson’s comrades said the dog is highly trained, and accustomed to overcoming physical obstacles.

“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 raise Wilson and worked with the dog until he graduated from the academy earlier this year.

“He is a distant relative of wolves,” Porras said, “so I hope his instinct to hunt will help him to survive.”