CWRC, Assam, July 13, 2017: A male rhinoceros calf displaced by the monsoon floods that have inundated large parts of Kaziranga National Park was rescued by forest department staff and brought by a Mobile Veterinary Service team to CWRC – the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, IFAW-WTI and the Assam Forest Department’s wildlife rescue, treatment and rehabilitation facility near Kaziranga – for treatment and long-term care this afternoon.
Earlier in the day, frontline forest staff had informed Pushpadhar Burhagohain, the Forest Range Officer of Burhapahar that a rhino calf had been found on Hatibalu Island in the Brahmaputra River. “Our team immediately moved to the site in a boat, rescued the calf and brought it to a location near NH 37”, Mr Burhagohain said.
“The calf’s health had deteriorated due to starvation and it had a lung infection as well. It was transported to CWRC under sedation.”
Responding to an emergency call from the forest department, an IFAW-WTI Mobile Veterinary Service (MVS) unit comprising Dr Bhaskar Choudhury, WTI’s Head Veterinarian (North East), veterinarians Dr Samshul Ali and Dr Daoharu Baro, and a team of CWRC animal keepers proceeded to the Buhapahar Forest Range. The MVS veterinarians examined the calf on the boat when it was brought in. “The calf is between four and six months old. Its health had deteriorated due to starvation and it had a lung infection as well”, said Dr Choudhury. “It clearly required intensive care and in consultation with the forest department, we decided it should be transported to CWRC under sedation.”
The calf is currently undergoing treatment at the centre’s Large Animal Nursery. It will remain under close observation with an animal keeper by its side at all times until it is stabilised.
