CWRC, Kaziranga National Park, March 7, 2018: Last month, two adult hog badgers, a male and a female, had been rescued in separate incidents and admitted to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) — IFAW-WTI and the Assam Forest Department’s wildlife rescue, treatment and rehabilitation facility near Kaziranga National Park. Now, following a course of treatment and monitoring at the centre, both animals have been released into the wild.

“Clinical examinations revealed that both animals were fit for release”, said Dr Panjit Basumatary. “We hope that they will have a fruitful life in the wild.”

At 2.00pm on March 5, a Mobile Veterinary Service team led by Dr Panjit Basumatary, lead veterinarian at CWRC, and accompanied by Forest Veterinary Officer Dr Debabrata Phukan, released the hog badgers into Kaziranga’s Agoratoli Range. The range was chosen as it was the closest protected forest to the sites of rescue.

“Clinical examination reports revealed that both animals were healthy and fit for release”, said Dr Basumatary. “The male hog badger, which had a fracture of the right zygomatic arch bone and the nasal bone of the frontal bone, required a surgical intervention that was successfully performed earlier this month. It was placed under post-operative care for three days and its latest X-Ray and blood reports suggested that it could be returned to its natural habitat. We hope that both animals will have a fruitful life in the wild.”