Animal Rehabilitation Centers -- India

CWRC also coordinates disaster and other emergency response teams in the region. Northeastern India is one of the world’s biodiversity hot spots, threatened by natural disasters like flood, and human activities such as poaching and logging, etc. The result is that a large number of wildlife species stray from their natural habitats, whilst in addition a significant number of wild animals are seized from illegal trade. The ultimate aim is to successfully return all treated individuals to their native habitat.

Busy Time For Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers in India     

IFAW’s two wildlife rehabilitation centers in northeast India, which are run in partnership with the state forest departments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), have had a busy time with the latest rescues.

Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), Kaziranga

A two-month-old female elephant calf was admitted after it was rescued by the manager of Rupajuli Tea Estate near Tezpur. The calf, named Rupa, had sustained several injuries, especially a severe one on her trunk, and also had an infection. Thanks to treatment her trunk injury is on the mend and Rupa is a very vocal calf asking for her milk feed by trumpeting or banging on the door to her room. Another calf that was rescued at about the same time subsequently died due to her poor condition.

A banded krait was rescued at Panbari village and released later at Kohora. Also a barking deer that was rescued near Tinsukia and hand reared at CWRC since January was released near Haldhibari. 

A weighbridge has been installed at CWRC and some of the animals have now been weighed. The elephant calf Mohan weighs 700 kg. and another calf Pinku weighs 500 kg, plus one of the rhino calves has weighed in at 100 kg.  In addition two new paddocks have been constructed for the rhino and buffalo calves at the center.

Center for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC) Arunachal Pradesh

Dr. Dargey Tsering took charge of a five-month-old female bear cub, which was handed over by the range officer of Diyun, in Arunachal Pradesh.

Several months earlier some Lisu tribesmen found this cub in the forest after it had been abandoned by its mother. This cub stayed with the range officer until he was able to hand her over for rehabilitation at the center. The addition of this new cub now brings the total number of cubs at CBRC to six. The cub is in quarantine and will soon be introduced to another cub that was rescued from Bana in August.

A male elephant calf, estimated to be two months old, was rescued by villagers 10 km from CBRC. The calf was found drowning in the Pakke River. Villagers informed the forest department who in turn got in touch with CBRC. Dr Tsering brought the animal in an ambulance to Seijosa where it is being housed next to the WTI office. The calf is fed milk formula and is looked after round the clock by a forest department employee and one of the center keepers.