Two greater one-horned rhinoceros, which were undergoing rehabilitation at the IFAW-WTI Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), were released into the wild in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve yesterday. This translocation, in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department, marks the 25th such release of rehabilitated rhinos from CWRC to its natural habitat.
The translocation operation was overseen by a team of veterinarians, including Dr Bhaskar Choudhury, Centre‑in‑Charge, CWRC; Dr Sourabh Buragohain, FVO, Kaziranga; Dr Mohit Nyol; and Dr Mehedi, along with experienced animal keepers. Officials of Kaziranga National Park, led by Dr Sonali Ghosh, IFS, Field Director Kaziranga, Mr Arun Vignesh CS, DFO EAWL, and range officers, subject matter experts Dr Rathin Barman, Mr Kaushik Barua, and Dr Anupam Sarmah, also accompanied and supervised various aspects of the operation.
Talking about the translocation, Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury stated, “WTI and IFAW, in partnership with Assam Forest Department, have demonstrated how rehabilitation of individual animals back to the wild can impact conservation of a species and landscapes for the past two decades. With Kanai and Chandra, we have completed the translocation of 25 orphaned Greater one-horned rhinos back to the wild. Both the rhinos will eventually be released from the in situ enclosure after about two months of acclimatization.”
Chandra was rescued in August 2020, separated from his mother at approximately one month of age, while Kanai, rescued in August 2021, was named in celebration of Lord Krishna’s birth, reflecting local Assamese traditions. Both the rhino calves were separated due to floods in Kaziranga. Another female rhino calf is currently undergoing rehabilitation at CWRC, along with nine elephant calves and one wild buffalo calf.
Dr. Rathin Barman, Director and Chief, Strategy and Liaison (N.E. India), WTI, said, “The rehabilitation of a rescued rhino from CWRC back to Kaziranga marks a complete circle in conservation—from rescue to recovery to reintegration into the wild. It reflects what science-based rehabilitation and strong institutional partnerships can achieve for species conservation.”
Orphaned rhino calves have also been translocated to the Manas National Park in the past, which has played a crucial role in maintaining the population of the species in the landscape. CWRC was established in 2002, as a collaborative initiative between the Assam Forest Department, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), to rescue flood-distressed and orphaned wild animals, especially in Kaziranga, and provide emergency care, hand-raising and rehabilitating fit individuals back into the wild through protocols like pre-release enclosures. To date, the centre has handled over 7,397 animals across 357 species, with approximately 4,490 (65%) successfully being released after treatment. This includes 25 hand-raised rhinos, 23 of which were returned to Manas National Park and two in Kaziranga.
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