Two weeks ago, Wilson broke the leash securing him to his guide and plunged into the Colombian jungle on the trail of four stray children who had survived a minor plane crash in Colombia. The children showed up, but the dog’s whereabouts are unknown.

Safe in a hospital in Bogotá, de four native children remembered their meeting with the dog and drew what their encounter with him was like.

Now, a week after the discovery of the little one, about 70 uniformed officers, supported by two dogs in heat, try to locate this male Belgian Malinois in the vast jungle of the department of Caquetá (south). His trainers in Bogotá hope he uses “his hunting instinct” to survive.

“He’s a very strong dog, very well trained, we’re confident he’s alive,” Private Elvis Porras, a dog instructor at the School of Military Engineers where Wilson trained, told AFP.

Photo released on June 12, 2023 by the Colombian Army of the Belgian Shepherd “Wilson” who took part in the rescue of the four indigenous children after wandering through the jungle for 40 days. The Colombian army continues to search for Wilson who was lost in the jungle. Photo: AFP

Porras hopes that this six-year-old Belgian Shepherd will “ignite his hunting instinct to survive”. is “descended directly from the wolf.”

Indigenous people Lesly (age 13), Soleiny, (9) Tien Noriel (5) and Cristin (1) roamed the same jungle for 40 days before being found underweight and dehydrated last Friday.

During his recovery at the Bogotá Military Hospital, the older sisters have made a drawing that shows a dog in the middle of the trees, next to a river and has the name Wilson written in black.

Before getting lost, “the dog led the pack to key points for tracking and deciphering the path the kids were taking,” says Edgar Fontecha, another dog instructor at the school.

The Army and Indian relatives suspect that Wilson was the first member of the search team to have contact with the brothers.

To fix it, “we brought in (into the jungle) two bitches in heat. Wilson has been neutered, but we hope his instinct kicks in and goes to the bitches,” explained General Pedro Sánchez, who led the rescue operation for the minors and now hopes to do the same for the dog.

#VamosPorWilson, #FaltaUno, #WilsonHeroeNacional are some of the numbers that social network users are clamoring for the return of the dog.

Part of litter W

Wilson, the strongest of the “Litter W” – so named because all puppies were baptized with names beginning with that letter – trained at this school in the southeast of the capital for 14 months.

“He was the dog we were looking for: strong, unafraid, very curious,” recalls Fontecha.

Almost 60 dogs are being trained detect explosives or drugs, perform rescues under collapsed buildings or follow people in humanitarian missions, Wilson’s specialty.

More than 2,500 pairs of dogs (soldier and canine) are trained in the various specialties required for military operations, where saving human lives is their primary function. Photo: AFP

These types of dogs are trained in pairs, assigned a single military “guide” to accompany them on various operations throughout their lives. Cristian David Lara, Wilson’s duo, remains in the jungle to look for him.

According to Fontecha, “It is said that the dog broke the rope” that tied him to Lara and “started doing his thing, following the trail” of the minors until he got lost.

Suddenly “the desire to hit his target, to find, to search” played tricks on him, Porras speculates.

For his part, General Sánchez says “it’s not common” to see this behavior in military dogs.

The uniformed confidence that – like the children – Wilson will avoid snakes, cougars, jaguars and other predators that roam the area.

“Grief overtakes me. Knowing that he is a son of the house and that he is the only one who could not leave the area after such a good result,” complains Private Porras.