GUWAHATI: The Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga has rescued more than 10,000 wild animals over the past 25 years, with nearly 68 per cent successfully treated and released into the wild, Assam Forest and Environment Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said on Sunday.
Located at Panbari near Kaziranga National Park, the CWRC marked 25 years of service on August 28. It was established in 2002 as a joint initiative of the Wildlife Trust of India, International Fund for Animal Welfare and Assam Forest Department, with support from the Centre’s Animal Welfare Division.
Baruah said the centre had handled more than 10,000 wildlife rescue cases since its establishment, rehabilitating injured, orphaned and displaced animals, including rhino calves, Asiatic black bear cubs, hoolock gibbons and wild buffalo.
He said veterinarians, conservation experts, animal keepers and mobile veterinary teams had played a key role in treating rescued animals and helping young wildlife regain natural behaviours before their release.
The centre’s teams also assist the Forest Department during Assam’s floods by providing emergency veterinary care to stranded or injured animals and helping reunite young animals with their mothers.
The rehabilitation programme has also supported conservation initiatives, including rhino reintroduction in Manas National Park and wildlife rehabilitation across Manas, Dibru-Saikhowa, Dehing Patkai and other protected areas.
“Our conservation journey is not only about rescuing animals. It is about giving them the opportunity to return to the forests where they belong,” Baruah said.
