Kaziranga: The count of rhinos at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) increased to four as a male greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) calf, aged about 6 months was rescued by Kaziranga forest staff and brought to the centre on December 9 th . It lay wounded in a paddy field close to village Dumjan in the Kohora range of Kaziranga National Park(KNP). Rescuing the calf was not easy as the agitated Dumjan residents demanded compensation for the crops damaged by the rhino.

At around 8 am the Kohora range forest staff called up CWRC and sought the team’s help to rescue this calf. According to the villagers, the calf was attacked by a tiger at night. However, luckily for the calf, the presence of the mother saved him. While the mother left, the injured calf took shelter in the nearby paddy field, where it was spotted by the forest staff on patrol.

“When we reached the field, we found the rhino calf could still charge at us. So CWRC vet, Dr. Thirumurugan immobilized the rhino using 200 mg Xylazine and 100 mg Ketamine”, reported Regional Manager, North East, Dr. Murali Pai.

As the team was busy sedating the rhino calf and loading it into the van, angry villagers statrted arguing with the forest staff. The villagers claimed compensation from the forest department for the damage caused by the rhino. They refused to let the rescue van leave with the calf. “We lost precious 20 minutes trying to reason with them and finally an exasperated KNP director, Mr. Vasu, who had negotiated with all concerned over the phone asked us to unload the animal and leave”, said Dr.Murali Pai.

But somehow peace was brokered, and the team reached CWRC with the calf at 12 Noon. As the vehicle was nearing the entrance, the calf woke up and was on its feet in the van. Dr. Thirumurugan had to sedate it a second time to dress the several cuts and abrasions over the animal’s body.

The vets are worried about a deep cut on the calf’s left knee and another on the right forearm. However, after dressing the wounds and giving antibiotics, the anesthetic effect was reversed and the rhino was soon up on its feet.

Situated adjacent to the 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.