May

Asian wild buffalo embarks on a journey back to the wild after 4 years of rehabilitation at CWRC, Kaziranga

Kaziranga, 29^th May, 2024: An Asian wild buffalo that was rescued as a neonate in January 2020, embarks on a journey back to the wild in the Burachapori WLS under Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, Assam. The animal was undergoing the necessary rehabilitation at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) jointly operated by the Assam Forest Department and the IFAW-WTI.

Burachapori WLS falls under category 4 of the IUCN protected area management list and has a resident population of Asian wild buffaloes. Following the wild buffalo release protocol, the team led by Shri. Arun Vignesh (IFS), DFO, EAWL Division, Kaziranga TR and the team of veterinarians and animal keepers including Dr. Biswajeet Baruah (Forest Veterinary Officer, Kaziranga TR), Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury (Centre Manager, CWRC), Dr. Nihar Oak (CWRC), and Lakhiram Das (Animal keeper, CWRC), opened the temporary boma (fenced enclosure) to release the buffalo in the sanctuary, yesterday. The buffalo is being continuously monitored by a team represented by the frontline forest staff of Burachapori WLS and WTI.

The Asian wild buffalo after a few week of admission at CWRC | Photograph by Panjit Basumatary/WTI

The animal was merely a few months old when it was admitted to CWRC. It was found alone in Kaziranga TR and diagnosed with naval infection and severe fever. Several reunion attempts were made by the team but the mother could not be located. Consequently, the young calf was admitted to the rescue centre. “The animal is currently in a pre-release boma prepared inside the Burachapori WLS and will soon be released, depending on how soon it shows signs of acclimatization”, says, Dr. Bhaskar Chowdhury, CWRC Centre Manager and the lead veterinarian of the operation. Alongside natural grasslands, the boma also has provisions of a waterbody for the buffalo to wallow. “It is expected that the acclimatization process will take between 40 and 60 days, provided that the area is not inundated by floodwaters”, adds Dr. Bhaskar.

The team has been working in the aftermath of the severe heatwaves across Kaziranga where temperatures had crossed the 42-degree mark. The rains brought in by Cyclone Remal provided a window for the animal to be translocated from the CWRC centre in Kaziranga to Burachapori WLS, a distance of about 100 kilometres, on the 28^th of May, 2024.

the Asian wild buffalo in the pre-release boma in Burachapori WLS | Photograph by Oviya Jayasimha/WTI

The Asian wild buffalo (Bubalus arnee) is listed as “Endangered” in the IUCN Red List of Species. While the global population is estimated at around 3,400 individuals, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve is one of the last strongholds of the species where a population of about 2,600. CWRC was established back in 2000 to rescue orphaned and/or injured wild animals of several species which are hand-raised and/or treated and subsequently returned back to the wild. Run in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department, the centre is supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the HCL Foundation.