Astana Airport has a rather unusual employee — a Belgian Shepherd named Ben, featured in a new video by travel blogger Yakov Fedorov. Ben works with dog handler Temirlan Ospanov, who has trained him to detect explosives since he was a puppy.
The video shows exactly how Ben operates: Ospanov hides capsules containing the scents of various types of explosives, and the Shepherd quickly tracks them down by following just one scent trail.
When Ben locates the «booby trap,» he freezes — and for good reason. Ospanov explains that the dog must not scratch, touch or nudge the object, since doing so could trigger an explosion in a real scenario.
According to Ospanov, play is an essential part of the job. For Ben, it’s motivation, reward and excitement.
The bomb-sniffing dog is most frequently called out during false bomb threats or when a passenger cancels a flight at the last minute, prompting a full aircraft inspection.
The video quickly went viral on social media, with users saying they’ve seen Ben at the airport. Many noted that Ben and Ospanov make a true team.
«Did we see Ben yesterday in the arrivals hall, in the baggage claim area? Charming Ben.»
«Respect to both of them — a real tandem.»
«I saw him being trained as a puppy,» one subscriber wrote.
