Zhuang Zhuang the beagle shines at Wuhan airport as luggage screener

At 8:30 am, Zhuang Zhuang, a tri-color beagle, puts on his custom work vest and reports to the arrival hall at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, Hubei province, for inspection duties.

The hall is packed with constant foot traffic and noisy with chatter, yet nothing distracts his focus. He patrols slowly alongside the baggage conveyor belt, his nose pressed against the gaps of luggage containers to find scents. When encountering suspicious baggage, he either stops to paw and probe the cases or sits down and looks toward his handler to send a signal.

Over one morning, Zhuang Zhuang screens nearly 300 pieces of luggage, taking occasional water breaks. His drooping ears stay alert at all times, hunting for high-risk items hidden inside parcels, such as fresh produce and seedlings.

The beagle can identify 17 products, such as meat and marine life, to protect against invasive species and the spread of animal and plant diseases.

He Jia, deputy director of the port supervision section of Wuhan Tianhe Airport Customs, explained that dogs possess an olfactory sensitivity tens of thousands of times higher than humans. Even fresh meat sealed in vacuum packaging can hardly escape their detection.

As a star at the airport, Zhuang Zhuang often makes appearances at promotional border safety events. This year, he has joined inspections of 104 flights and found prohibited entry goods weighing a total of 22.5 kilograms, including fruits, dairy products, seeds, and seedlings. In addition, he has intercepted endangered wild fauna and flora products totaling 13.4 kg.

After work, he likes to chase a rubber ball on the grass.