23 years on, CWRC Kaziranga rescues 9,500+ animals, returns 63% to wild
CWRC’s work began as an urgent response to the annual floods in Kaziranga, offering rapid relief and rehabilitation to thousands of displaced and injured animals every monsoon season.
It remains the only facility in India to have successfully addressed the welfare and rehabilitation needs of 357 wildlife species, ranging from rhinos and elephant calves to clouded leopards and hog deer. (Photo: Wildlife Trust of India)
Kaziranga, Aug 31: Assam’s Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), Kaziranga, marks 23 years of pioneering wildlife conservation as India’s first dedicated facility for rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing wild animals. Since its formation in 2002, CWRC has responded to over 9,500 wildlife rescue cases, with a remarkable 63% of animals successfully returned to their natural habitat.
CWRC’s work began as an urgent response to the annual floods in Kaziranga, offering rapid relief and rehabilitation to thousands of displaced and injured animals every monsoon season. Located in Kaziranga National Park, CWRC operates as a model of collaboration formed jointly by the Assam Forest Department, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). It remains the only facility in India to have successfully addressed the welfare and rehabilitation needs of 357 wildlife species, ranging from rhinos and elephant calves to clouded leopards and hog deer.
Alongside two Mobile Veterinary Service (MVS) units, CWRC extends emergency care across Eastern and Western Assam, strengthening wildlife protection in remote and flood-prone regions. Their innovative approach has not only saved lives but also enabled vital conservation achievements such as reintroducing rhinos to Manas National Park and translocating hoolock gibbons to safer habitats. CWRC’s skilled teams have restored orphan elephants, wild buffaloes, black bears, and greater adjutant storks to the wild – many rescued from the brink during times of disaster and conflict.
Every year, Kaziranga National Park faces devastating floods that threaten wildlife and local communities. During these crises, CWRC’s rescue teams mobilize rapidly, deploying 30 to 40 veterinarians, keepers, and volunteers through four dedicated units and temporary camps for intensive rescue and care operations. Their MVS units reach stranded or orphaned animals – especially rhino and elephant calves, deer, and otters – while also providing outreach to nearby villages to reduce human-animal conflict and support community-led conservation efforts. CWRC’s dedicated flood-season operations routinely save over 700 animals each year, embodying its role as Assam’s frontline in wildlife disaster response.
CWRC’s lasting impact stands as a testament to science-led conservation and the power of cross-sector partnerships in protecting India’s irreplaceable wildlife and natural heritage.
By
Correspondent