Kaziranga (Assam) [India], January 23 : The forest staff of Assam's Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve (KNP&TR) rescued a stranded male rhinoceros calf at the Burapahar range of the national park on Thursday, officials said.
Dr Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve, said that the rhino calf was detected on the evening of January 21 in the Sarali area of Burapahar Range.
"Immediately after detection, a search operation to locate the mother rhino was initiated by a team led by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), EAWL Division. The operation involved the use of departmental elephants, thermal drones, and frontline forest staff to conduct an extensive, systematic search of the area.Simultaneously, a dedicated veterinary team comprising Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury, Dr. Mohit Nyol, and Dr. Saurobh Borgohain was stationed near the calf to provide immediate supportive care and continuous monitoring," Dr Sonali Ghosh said.
The Field Director of Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve further said that, despite sustained efforts for over 24 hours, the mother rhino could not be traced and reunification was not possible.
"Considering the safety and welfare of the calf, a decision was taken to rescue it. Accordingly, the rhino calf was rescued at around 4 pm on January 22 and safely transported to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) for further care, treatment, and rehabilitation. The Forest Department remains committed to the protection and conservation of wildlife and continues to take all necessary measures to ensure the well-being of rescued animals," Dr Sonali Ghosh said.
The Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) was established in 2002 as a collaborative initiative among the Assam Forest Department, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
" Its primary role involves rescuing flood-distressed and orphaned wild animals, especially in Kaziranga, providing emergency care, hand-raising them, and rehabilitating fit individuals back into the wild through protocols like pre-release enclosures. CWRC has rescued and handled over 7,397 animals across 357 species to date, with approximately 4,490 (65%) successfully released after treatment; this includes 25 hand-raised rhinos, 23 returned to Manas National Park and 2 to Kaziranga in the past. At present, CWRC houses 3 rhino calves. Of these, 2 male rhinos were successfully translocated to Kaziranga National Park on January 20. The park authority followed the internationally accepted conservation translocation protocol, wherein, after obtaining the requisite permissions from the Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam, under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, a Site Selection committee was constituted to identify possible locations ideally suited for the pre-release enclosures. Thereafter, the rhinos have been moved to a pre-release enclosure, where they will be habituated to living under wild conditions before their final release to roam freely in the park," Dr Sonali Ghosh said.
The translocation operation was overseen by a team of veterinarians comprising Dr Bhaskar Choudhury, Centre-in-Charge, CWRC; Dr Sourabh Buragohain, FVO, Kaziranga; Dr Mohit Nyal; and Dr Mehdi, along with experienced animal keepers.
Officials of Kaziranga National Park, led by Dr Sonali Ghosh, Field Director, Kaziranga, and Arun Vignesh CS, DFO EAWL, and range officers, along with subject matter experts Dr Rathin Barman, Kaushik Barua, and Dr Anupam Sarmah, also accompanied and supervised various aspects of the operation.
This rhino transfer is a testament to the scientific management and established rehabilitation protocols followed in Kaziranga NPTR, where every wild animal, especially the iconic greater one-horned rhinoceros, is given a chance to return to its natural home, even after experiencing severe stress from calamities such as floods.
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