In two decades, Panbari wildlife centre rehabilitates 5K animals

Guwahati: The Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) at Panbari near the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has rehabilitated nearly 5,000 wild animals, who were distressed and displaced due to various reasons, and provided proper medical care to them in the last two decades.
A joint initiative of the Assam Forest Department, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the centre was established on August 28, 2002.
The centre continues to be the country’s only facility to have successfully addressed the welfare and conservation of 357 species, including elephant, leopard, rhino, tiger, clouded leopard, black bear, wild buffalo, hog deer, muntjac, wild boar and monkeys. It has so far handled 7,397 animals out of which 4,490 could be sent back to the wild after proper care and treatment.
“The CWRC has now become a model in the field of wildlife conservation. With the dedicated service of the team, we could save many injured, orphaned and marooned animals, especially during the floods in Kaziranga,” said MK Yadava, principal chief conservator of forest and chief wildlife warden, on Sunday.
Vivek Menon, founder and executive director of WTI, said, “The centre has shown how civil society and governments can work together to bring top science and rehabilitation methods to India and successfully address conservation as well as welfare needs of wildlife.”
The CWRC has been rehabilitating rescued rhino and elephant calves in Assam, helping Manas National Park get back its rhinos after its entire population was wiped out by extremists in the late 1990s.