GUWAHATI, July 16 � A displaced rhino calf at Haldibari Reserve Forest near the Kaziranga National Park has been reunited with its mother by the Assam Forest Department assisted by a team from the International Fund for Animal Welfare � Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI)-run Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC).
For the WTI functionaries, the successful reunion has been an exciting achievement as previous attempts bore no results as mothers of the displaced rhino calves could not be traced.
While a number of displaced elephant calves have been similarly reunited with their natal herds, all displaced rhino calves previously attended to by the CWRC have been hand-raised for a long-term rehabilitation. Reunion attempts bore no result as the mothers could not be located. Currently three rhino calves and two sub-adults are being hand-raised at CWRC.
The calf, a 45-day old female was rescued from a tea garden trench adjoining Haldibari RF. The mother and the calf are presumed to have crossed the NH 37 towards the highlands of Karbi Anglong hills to avoid increasing water levels in Kaziranga.
�The rhinos were perhaps grazing near Hathikuli TE, when the calf fell into the trench. We could hear the calls of the mother rhino which was hiding in the nearby woodlands and was clearly agitated. As the NH was barely 100 metres from the hiding place of the mother, the Forest Department officials stopped traffic during the operation to prevent alarming the rhinos,� said Dr Anil Deka, IFAW-WTI veterinarian who assisted the Forest Department.�
The calf was removed from the trench and released near the hiding place of the mother in Haldibari RF. Reunion was confirmed through grunts of the mother and calf emanating from the area of reunion.
