Kaziranga : A four-month-old female rhino calf was rescued from the surging flood waters in the Kaziranga national Park yesterday. The calf, which was badly injured, was brought to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) and is now under intensive care. This is the fifth rhino infant being handled by the CWRC, India ‘s premier rescue facility, in the north eastern Assam state.

Meanwhile, rescue and rehabilitation operations continue apace at the CWRC which was established by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the Department of Forest and Environment, Government of Assam, and supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). In the last three days CWRC staff has already handled six hog deer, 3 pythons and one leopard.

At about mid-day, a forest guard of Baghmara camp saw a baby rhino is being swept away in flood water. The forest guard immediately responded by reaching it by a boat. He informed the senior Park authorities over a wireless set and rescued the rhino calf by tying it with a small rope to the patrol boat. The director Kaziranga, N. K. Vasu had reached the site to lead the rescue operation. The CWRC’s veterinarian, who was attending a rescued hog deer close to this site immediately rushed to the western range office of Kaziranga.

Rathin Burman, the manager of CWRC reported on the condition of the rescued calf, “The female rhino is about 3-4 month old. It was very badly injured because of strong current of water and had severe respiratory problems with muscular fatigue. It had aspirated water, and it was in great shock due to separation from its mother. After giving first aid to the calf, we decided to shift the calf to CWRC’s intensive care unit. The calf’s mother could not be traced out due to the high flood levels in the national park area. It was found in the Roumari Beel area near the Baghmara camp of Kaziranga National Park .”

“The condition of the calf is critical at present and she has been kept in the ICU of CWRC. After one hour of stabilization at ICU it was offered fluid through specialized nipple which she accepted after a little hesitation. CWRC and Kaziranga Park authorities are taking its best possible care for this rescued baby of a highly endangered species”, reported Burman.

In 2002, CWRC has successfully rescued a rhino calf and it has been hand-reared at the centre for the past two years. This calf will be rehabilitated following international norms involving experts later this year. “We are confident that this effort to save this highly endangered species will be success story”, concluded Burman.

WTI has sent in reinforcements from headquarters at Delhi to CWRC to help with the rescue operations. Kadambari Mainkar, Project Officer from the Wild Rescue Program and Fiona Pamplin from Britain (the first volunteer at CWRC this year) have already reached CWRC.