Alpine Rescue Dog Training Site: Climate Change Leads to Increased Avalanche Incidents, Electronic Equipment Becomes the Only Hope
讀後心得
In response to climate change, the Alps may face more frequent avalanches, making mountain rescue increasingly important. In Cortina d'Ampezzo, the host city for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, rescue experts practiced with search and rescue dog Zen, who demonstrated exceptional search and rescue abilities. Due to increased snowfall and more people entering high-risk areas, the snowpack has become heavier and denser, raising the risk of avalanches. Although Zen views rescue as a game, the actual missions are filled with challenges; in a recent rescue, two skiers unfortunately lost their lives. According to Italy's avalanche monitoring agency Aineva, the survival rate in avalanches is about 50%; in 2023, over 12,000 rescue missions were carried out in the Italian mountains, with search and rescue dogs deployed 168 times, mainly for avalanche incidents.
In response to climate change, the Alps, which are the highest and most widely distributed mountains in Europe, are likely to experience more frequent avalanches in the future, making rescue operations in mountainous areas even more important. Recently, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the host cities for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, rescue experts conducted drills with rescue dog Zen, who skillfully searched for victims, demonstrating his outstanding search and rescue abilities.
The relationship between climate change and avalanches is very complex. With increasing snowfall and more people venturing into relatively dangerous altitudes, especially between 1500 meters and 2000 meters, the snowpack in this area is often heavy and compact. For dogs, rescue work feels like a game, but in reality, these missions are often filled with challenges. As seen in a recent avalanche rescue involving Zen, when they arrived on the scene, two out of three known skiers had unfortunately perished.
According to data from relevant monitoring agencies, the survival rate globally for those caught in avalanches is about 50%. Furthermore, according to data from the alpine rescue teams, over 12,000 search and rescue missions were conducted in the Italian mountains in 2023, during which rescue dogs were deployed 168 times, primarily for avalanche rescue operations.