More than 9,500 animals rescued in CWRC’s 23 years

September 23, 2025

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Every year, Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India, floods. Each time, the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) arrives on the scene to rescue animals in peril.

Since its founding in 2002, the Centre has taken in more than 9,500 animals—63% of which have been released back to the wild. This astounding success rate is thanks to the joint support of IFAW, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and the Assam Forest Department.

It’s the first rescue and rehabilitation centre of its kind in the country, and its dedicated veterinarians, keepers, and volunteers have helped more 357 different species, including rhinos, elephants, clouded leopards, hog deer, and otters—but the Centre’s work doesn’t end at rescue.

CWRC staff examine a rhino calf rescued from flooding.

As the waters rise, CWRC rushes into action

While the Brahmaputra River’s annual summer floods are beneficial to the surrounding grasslands, they put members of already vulnerable species at risk. Flood plains extend for miles on each side of the river, so once the flood hits, it spreads quickly. Some animals are killed, and the waters separate many young animals, such as rhino and elephant calves, from their mothers, leaving them unable to survive on their own.

The floods also impact local villages, causing damage to homes, infrastructure, and agriculture. The rushing waters sometimes push animals closer to communities, heightening the risk of human-wildlife conflict.

When the floods occur, CWRC mobilises a team of 30 to 40 professionals and volunteers through four dedicated units and temporary camps, ensuring its intensive care operations reach as many stranded or orphaned animals as possible. Forest personnel and local residents also often rescue stranded animals and rush them to CWRC for care.

Thanks to the efforts of dedicated staff, volunteers, and the surrounding communities, CWRC saves more than 700 animals each flood season.

Rescue supports conservation

Kaziranga National Park, a 1,300-square kilometre UNESCO World Heritage site, is the largest home on the planet for greater one-horned rhinos, a species that dwindled close to extinction at the beginning of the 20th century but has since recovered thanks to dedicated conservation efforts.

CWRC’s work bridges rescue and conservation. Not only has the Centre cared for numerous one-horned rhino calves saved from the floodwaters, but the team has also successfully reintroduced these rehabilitated rhinos to nearby Manas National Park, re-establishing the park’s once-extinct population.

Backed by science and cross-sector partnerships, CWRC has also translocated Hoolock gibbons to safer habitats; released more than 85 moon bears to the wild; and helped restore populations of Asian elephants, buffaloes, black bears, and storks—many of which are rescued from disasters and human-wildlife conflict.

Duli and Atsu the Asiatic black bear cubs rehabilitating at Wildlife Trust of India’s CWRC.

In addition, CWRC has embedded itself in local communities through outreach to promote human-wildlife coexistence and support community-led conservation efforts. Their work serves as a prime example of how rescue and conservation are intrinsically linked.

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