Kaziranga Flood Update: Sub-adult Male Rhino Rescued and Released
The sub-adult rhino seen here trapped in a drain outside a relief camp near Hathikuli Tea Estate, Kaziranga
CWRC, Kaziranga National Park, August 2, 2016: Responding to a 12.15am emergency call from the Central Forest Range of Kaziranga National Park, an IFAW-WTI Mobile Veterinary Service (MVS) team led by Dr Bhaskar Choudhury (Head Veterinarian – NE), and a WTI-JTEF wildlife rescue unit led by Dr Daoharu Baro successfully rescued a sub-adult male rhino, about two years old, from a drain on the Maj-Line (Middle Line) of Hathikuli Tea Estate on July 31.
In an attempt to escape from the inundated areas of Kaziranga towards the nearby uplands of the tea estate, the rhino had apparently been confronted by people on the National Highway and the temporary flood relief camp in the area. Chased towards the tea estate, the rhino fell into a five-foot-deep drain in front of the relief camp.
The animal was getting injured in its attempts to get out of the drain and also banging repeatedly against a concrete slab that impeded its path. The situation demanded swift action. Called in by local villagers Mr S Das, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Kaziranga and his team of forest staff, a team of frontline forest staff from Karbi Anglong, and a district administration team led by Varnali Deka, Deputy Commissioner, Golaghat arrived at the spot along with police and paramilitary forces.
“In consultation with a few local villagers and the Kaziranga DFO we quickly planned the most efficient way of getting the rhino out of the gutter”, said IFAW-WTI’s Dr Bhaskar Choudhury. “Using a soft, thick rubber mat, we blocked its path to the concrete slab so it would not injure itself further. That immediate objective achieved, local residents helped us to construct a sturdy ramp with sliced banana stems and wooden planks. We administered an antibiotic to the rhino as a precaution against infection from its injuries. Then, having tested the ramp for stability, we placed it in front of the rhino in such a manner that it could use it to exit the drain and move uninterrupted towards higher ground.”
The rhino was lured towards the ramp using the rubber mat, which it was trying to bite. The mat was removed just in front of the ramp, which the rhino promptly scrambled onto, getting out of the drain, reaching the National Highway and moving towards the tea estate.
Working with the Kaziranga Forest Authority, IFAW-WTI and WTI-JTEF MVS units have attended 107 wild rescue cases during the Assam floods. Ten of these have been rhino rescues, including this swift rescue and release operation.
