The Western Forest Department has launched the 'Transit Treatment Center' at the Forest Produce Warehouse located in Mhasrul Shivara. This pioneering facility is exclusively designed to provide medical care to injured wildlife, wild birds, and reptiles. Notably, it marks a first for North Maharashtra and is currently active through a collaborative effort with the Rescue Charitable Trust of the Forest Department Pune.
The Rescue Charitable Trust, Pune, has entered into a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Forest Department to oversee operations at the newly established center. This collaboration comes in response to rising instances of wildlife injuries caused by various accidents in the region. Recognizing the necessity for a well-equipped medical facility, the Western Forest Department took proactive steps to establish this center, aiming to provide centralized care with modern amenities.
Funding for the center, amounting to approximately four and a half crore rupees, was secured from the District Planning Committee after a proposal was initiated in 2021 by Conservator of Forests Pankaj Kumar Garg. The foundation stone for the center was laid on October 4, 2021, and it occupies about two acres of land.
Seema Musale, Forest Range Officer of Mhasrul Forest Agar, has been appointed as the Nodal Officer of the center. The facility is equipped with advanced infrastructure including a surgery room, casualty room, intensive care unit, x-ray system, observation room, isolation room, critical care room, dispensary, kitchen, nursery for birds, flight test room, ambulance, and rescue vehicle. A dedicated team led by veterinary officer Dr. Ayush Patil, supported by Manoj Waghmare, Rakesh Mere, Samarth Mahajan, and Hemraj Sukhwal, manages the center.
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To streamline operations and ensure transparency, every entry and medical treatment at the center is logged into the Captive Wildlife Management System (CWM). This system allows senior forest officers to verify and track the status of each animal online.
During a recent press conference, Seema Musale urged citizens to contact the center's helpline number 8698112211 if they come across any injured wild animals or birds. The center accommodates different types of wildlife with specific rooms allocated for tigers, leopards, wolves, foxes, birds, deer, and monkeys, each with enrichment areas tailored to their needs.
The establishment of this Transit Treatment Center marks a significant step towards wildlife conservation and welfare in North Maharashtra, providing essential medical care and rehabilitation for injured wildlife in the region.