Valour Beyond the Uniform: How Animals Shape India’s Military Might

Modern warfare is often associated with cutting-edge technology—drones, satellites and armoured vehicles. Yet, in some of the world’s harshest terrains, India’s military strength still rests on the instincts, endurance and loyalty of animals. 

The Republic Day parade this year will underscore that reality as the Indian Army showcases its animal contingent for the first time on Kartavya Path. 

Animals serve where machines reach their limits. In deep snow and rarefied air, Zanskar ponies transport essential supplies across distances that vehicles cannot traverse. Bactrian camels, uniquely adapted to Ladakh’s cold deserts, enable mounted patrols and logistical support along strategic sectors. Army dogs detect explosives buried deep beneath the ground, track insurgents through dense terrain and locate survivors amid disaster rubble. 

What sets these animals apart is not just their physical capability, but the bond they share with their handlers—a partnership built on trust, training and mutual survival. In combat zones and humanitarian missions alike, this bond often becomes the difference between life and death. 

By featuring these animals in the Republic Day parade, the Army highlights a deeper truth: valour is not defined by uniform alone. It exists wherever courage meets service, regardless of species.