Borjuri, Kaziranga: The Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), the only facility of its kind in India , completes two years today, with the largest bank of endangered species awaiting release to the wild in its premises.

“With three rhinos, a hoolock gibbon, two wild buffaloes, a leopard cub, and four elephants, CWRC is the only one of its kind housing so many diverse taxa for rehabilitation,” Deputy Director NVK Ashraf said.

Situated in Kaziranga National Park , Assam , CWRC was founded by the Assam Forest Department and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) with support from WTI’s partner, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). CWRC is a systematic and scientific initiative to deal with wild animals in distress where immediate human intervention is required for their survival. CWRC has till date attended a record number of 253 rescue cases of wild animals in Assam . Of these, the Center could successfully treat and release 128 animals back to their natural habitat.

“The centre has taken roots in a place which was in dire need of such a facility. As an institution, WTI has pioneered scientific rehab practices and has set new standards in rehabilitation of animals,” Ashraf said.

Wildlife Rehabilitation in India is still in its nascent stage. The rehabilitation of wildlife is a multi-faceted effort that requires the skills and talents of individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and areas of expertise. “Although we have given a professional outlook to wildlife rehabilitation in India , we still have a long way to go,” added Ashraf.

The centre is to start rehabilitating an orphaned rhino, a hoolock gibbon and an orphaned wild buffalo. This project on these endangered animals would be first of its kind in the country. Efforts are being made so that these animals can return to their natural habitat as soon as possible.

Kaziranga National Park, a 430 square kilometer World Heritage Site that is home to approximately 1600 of the estimated total population of 2000 Greater one-horned rhinoceros, besides many other species of mammals and birds. However annual floods wreak havoc in this part of the country and pose a threat to the survival of both animals and people here. The large scale decimation of wildlife in the form of animal deaths ranging upto 650 in the floods of 1998 led to the concept of a wildlife rescue center in Kaziranga.

Each year during the annual floods in the river Brahmaputra , wild animals migrate in large numbers to higher grounds situated on the southern boundaries of Kaziranga National Park . However the presence of the National Highway which runs between the park and the higher reaches results in many accidents caused by speeding vehicles. Again, some animals of the park drown in the floodwater and many animals take shelter in nearby human habitations. Young animals are often lost in the process of surviving the floods. The efforts of the Forest Department authorities, local non governmental organization and local villagers are commendable as they often rescue many injured, displaced or orphaned wild animals. CWRC caters to these distressed animals.

“At present 19 animals, which were either orphaned or needed prolonged care, are kept at the CWRC campus. These include four elephant calves, three rhino calves, two Asiatic water buffalo calves, a hoolock gibbon, two leopard cubs and a few birds, making CWRC the only centre that houses so many taxa of animals,” Centre Manager Rathin Burman said.

CWRC has also attended to 42 rescue cases in various parts of Assam , covering eight forest divisions with the help of its Mobile Veterinary Service (MVS) ambulances. Notable among these was the rescue of an elephant calf on 29 th July, 2003 , which was trapped in a noose trap laid by some miscreants near Kaziranga National Park . CWRC has so far rescued, treated and reunited three elephant calves with its natal herds.

This year too, the CWRC played a crucial role in the rescue operations during the worst floods to hit Kaziranga in the past twenty years. CWRC treated 38 animals, which included 30 hog deer, 1 barking deer, 3 lesser cats, 2 rhino calves and 2 pythons. Of these 19 animals were released to their natural habitat after being successfully treated for their injuries.

During the floods, the Centre rendered help to the Kaziranga National Park by running its three emergency rescue animal ambulances round the clock for flood rescue operations.

CWRC has a regular veterinary expert and a wildlife biologist, who are on call round the clock. Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury, a wildlife veterinarian of WTI led the veterinary team of CWRC during flood period. Additional help was received from other veterinary experts and local and international volunteers.

The CWRC has five different types of animal enclosures for primates, carnivores, ungulates, birds and turtles & tortoises. These have been designed to suit the behavioral and natural needs of different animals under treatment. There are three different animal paddocks for rescued orphaned herbivores like elephant, rhino, wild buffalo and deer, where animals are being kept in a near-natural habitat. Also present is a well-equipped animal clinic and operation theatre for conducting minor surgeries.

With the aim of protecting and rescuing wildlife from every kind of threat ranging from natural calamities to poaching by humans, CWRC looks forward to contributing significantly to the cause of conservation.