Training Records of Rescue Dogs in the Alpine Region: Climate Change Leads to Frequent Avalanches, New Hopes Beyond Electronic Devices
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With climate change, the Alps in Europe are facing more frequent avalanches, making mountain rescue increasingly important. Recently in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the host city for the 2026 Winter Olympics, rescue experts conducted drills with rescue dog Zen to demonstrate their search and rescue capabilities. Due to climate impacts, increased snowfall and people entering dangerous areas at elevations of 1500 to 2000 meters have resulted in heavy and compact snow layers. Although for Zen, rescue missions may seem like a game, the challenges are significant; in a recent avalanche rescue, two skiers sadly lost their lives. According to data from Italy, the survival rate for avalanche victims is 50%, and in 2023, there were over 12,000 search and rescue missions in Italy, with rescue dogs being deployed 168 times, primarily for avalanche rescues.
Due to climate change, the Alps, which are the highest and most widely distributed in Europe, may experience more frequent avalanches, making mountain rescue increasingly important. Recently, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the host cities for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, rescue experts conducted drills with the mountain rescue dog Zen, who agilely identified trapped individuals, showcasing outstanding search and rescue capabilities.
The impact of climate change on avalanches is extremely complex, with an increase in snowfall leading more people to venture into relatively dangerous altitude ranges, specifically between 1500 meters and 2000 meters. The snow layers in this area are wet and dense. From the dogs' perspective, rescue seems like a game, but these missions are far from easy. During a recent avalanche rescue involving Zen, by the time they arrived on the scene, two of the three skiers had already unfortunately lost their lives.
According to data from relevant agencies, the survival rate for those who encounter avalanches globally is 50%. Additionally, statistics from rescue teams indicate that in 2023, over 12,000 search and rescue missions were conducted in the Italian mountains, with rescue dogs being deployed 168 times, primarily for avalanche-related rescues.