CWRC, Kaziranga National Park, July 26, 2016: A male rhino calf, about three months old, was rescued this morning by frontline staff of the Assam Forest Department and a Mobile Veterinary Service (MVS) team from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), the wildlife care facility run by IFAW-WTI with support from the Assam Forest Department.

The calf, which had been separated from its mother, was seen struggling to swim across an inundated paddy field opposite the Hathikuli Tea Garden under the Central Forest Range of Kaziranga National Park. It was rescued by forest guards and shifted by boat to the backyard of a house in a nearby upland area. Responding to an emergency call, an MVS team led by WTI Deputy Director Dr Rathin Barman and veterinarian Dr Samshul Ali reached the spot and transported the calf to CWRC for stabilisation and care.

“The calf is highly stressed. It has been separated from its mother and had to swim through flood waters”, said Dr Panjit Basumatary, the lead veterinarian at CWRC. “After two unsuccessful attempts it is now responding to oral rehydration and milk formula. We have placed it under 24-hour observation in the Large Animal Nursery.”

Located on the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River, Kaziranga National Park, one of India’s UNESCO world heritage sites, actually benefits from the annual monsoon floods, which serve to recharge its vast grassland ecosystem. However, the park is facing a major wildlife crisis this year as large portions of its area have been completely inundated in what are being described as the worst floods in a decade.