Kaziranga: WTI (Wildlife Trust of India) and IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) will move six hand-raised elephant calves today from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga to Doimari in Manas National Park.

The elephants will be reintegrated to a wild herd in Doimari, after they are familiarized to the area.

This will be the first exercise in India after Sri Lanka and Kenya to have successfully released hand-raised elephants into the wild.

The elephants will be put on three trucks for their 450 kms journey to Doimari.

“They will be allowed to move freely in the jungle during day time under the supervision of the keeper, and at night they will be sheltered in a stockade – built in an area of 1 hectare (about 10000 sq. meters) for their security.” Dr. N. V. K. Ashraf, Director Wild Rescue of WTI, said.

Doimari in Manas is a prime elephant habitat and is far from the nearest human habitation – ideal for their release.

Besides, this is the biggest continuous forest habitat (Unfragmented habitat) in the north-east region that extends from Assam upto Bhutan.

“All the six elephants are being radio-collared for post-release monitoring. Incase there is a problem we can follow them for rescue.” Dr. Bhaskar Choudhry, wildlife veterinarian of WTI said.

The elephants are between 6 to 2-and-a-half-years old and were hand-raised in CWRC.

They were rescued at a young age from different parts of Assam and have been at the centre for last one to five years.M. C. Malakar, Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam and D. M. Singh, Kaziranga Park Director will be present at their send-off from the centre.Kampa Borgoyari, Deputy Chief of the Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) will receive the elephants in Manas.The exercise is part of the elephant rehabilitation programme initiated by WTI and IFAW with support from the Assam Forest Department.A six-member veterinary team comprising doctors from the College of Veterinary Science, Guwahati, Dr. Bijoy Dutta and Dr. Bhupen Sarma, Dr. Bhaskar Choudhry, Dr. Anjan Talukdar, and Dr. Ashraf of WTI, and Dr. Raj Jyoti Deka (as independent consultant) will accompany the elephants.A. J. Cady, Director Animals in Crisis and Distress, IFAW, and Vivek Menon, Executive Director, WTI will also accompany them.A. J. Cady, will symbolically release the elephants in Manas, signifying their arrival to their new home.CWRC is India’s first multi-species rehabilitation facility set up in partnership between WTI, IFAW and the Assam Forest Department.