Anjan Talukdar, the veterinarian at CWRC since 2004 is ecstatic. He still remembers their rescue from the flooded Brahmaputra landscape—nervous bundles, barely able to stand, starving and in deep anguish on being separated from their mothers. The calves who were three months to a year old when displaced were in acute distress. Rushed to the Centre in well-equipped Mobile Veterinary Service vehicles, they were hand raised and bottle fed. Set up in 2002, the Centre has so far raised and relocated six rhinos in Manas. The first batch of three rhinos was released in 2008 and subsequently three more were trans-located. The birth of three cubs to these rhinos at Manas is the final cherry on the cake of successful rehabilitation, says Talukdar who kept running between Borjuri and Manas to ensure the youngsters are doing well. For several years the rhinos had been raised by humans. To see them getting back their animal instincts and fussing over their young ones was a great joy.

With 100 rhinos, Manas was one of the country's most scenic parks, nestling in the lap of nature with thick forests, water bodies and mountains. It was completely ravaged during the civil unrest in the late eighties and nineties and the rhino population wiped out. Rebuilding and restoring Manas to its erstwhile splendour of flora and fauna has been the dream of conservationists and wildlife lovers. Now it is well on the way to becoming a reality though the increase in poaching for rhino horn and wildlife parts is worrying. The five rhinos, currently being raised in a stockade at the Centre will also be released into Manas at an appropriate time.

Setting up of CWRC

It was after the devastating floods of 2000 that Menaka Gandhi, who was the then Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, arranged for a van for the rescue of animals affected by the floods. It was expected to provide first aid and release them back into the wild when the flood waters receded. But there were so many orphaned and injured elephants, rhinos and other animals and birds that a more lasting solution had to be found. The Assam Forest Department, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Wildlife Trust of India joined hands to set up the CWRC. The primary aim was to stabilise displaced wild animals, provide medical treatment if necessary and release animals back into the wild-as close to the site of rescue as possible. All animals in distress whether it was rhinos stuck in bogs, stranded tigers, rhino calves swept away in the floods, elephants calves fallen into drains of tea gardens, electrocuted lories, poisoned vultures, injured birds and snakes, orphaned bear cubs, animals confiscated from poachers or injured in conflict with humans were picked up and looked after by the CWRC team.

The Centre spread across two plots of land of 3.7 and 7.2 hectares has an examination room, a theatre for surgery, a disease investigation laboratory and spacious shelters to accommodate birds, reptiles, primates, ungulates and big cats as well as nurseries for mega herbivores and small animals. The Centre is one of the few rescue centres recognised by the Central Zoo Authority of India.

From 2002 it has rescued and treated 3364 wild animals including birds and snakes. In 2013, 175 animals and birds were rescued. Fifty seven per cent of them were treated for injuries, nurtured and released in the wild; 2.85 per cent who were not fit enough to go back into the wild were sent to state zoos for life time care. This is particularly true for tiger cubs that have been orphaned or separated from the mother during floods. While a small percentage of the animals are dead on arrival at the Centre, 34 per cent died during care and 1.41 per cent even managed to escape.

The largest number of animals—56 per cent have been rescued from Central Assam, that is directly under CWRC, 20 per cent from Western Assam through the satellite facility at Kokrajar, 11 per cent from Eastern Assam through the satellite facility at Dhola, 7 per cent from Karbi Anlong through the satellite facility at Diphu and the remaining animals have been rescued from the North Bank through the satellite facility at Sonitpur near Pakke Tiger Reserve. At each of these facilities there is a fully equipped medical vehicle with a vet, 11 skilled staff and tranquilizing equipment.

Currently under care at the Centre are 34 animals including 5 rhinos, 8 elephant calves, 2 hoolock gibbons, two wild buffalo calves, 8 lesser adjutant storks, 5 barn owls, one rhesus macaque, a small clawed otter and two leopards, one of which has been at the Centre for 11 years.

Animal-human relation

After hog deer, baby elephants account for the largest number of rescues - 56 of them including eight this year. Apart from those separated from the herd in the monsoons, many calves are pulled out of the deep drains surrounding the tea gardens at the foothills of Karbi Anlong and other areas. Herds of wild elephants come to the tea gardens for shelter and to raid crops. At times they are chased by the tea garden staff and calves of the fleeing herds fall into drains-some less than a month old. At times they are in the drains for two or three days and are totally dehydrated. Villagers who find them try to feed the starving calves. The hungry calves swallow the food given and many fall ill. It is difficult to save calves that have developed an infection, says Talukdar.

Volunteers at the Centre feed milk in huge bottles. It is supplemented with nutrients and other food till the calves are strong enough to be re-introduced into the forests. As far as possible, the calves are placed near the spot they were rescued from in the hope they will join their own herd. Mud and dung from the wild is smeared over the calves so that they are accepted by the herd.

Many of the calves were taken to Manas with radio collars and walked around. It may take five to six years before they finally join the herd. The baby elephants keep coming back to the forest camp, then wandering off to join a herd. This toing and froing continues till they integrate with the wild herd. Seven elephants have joined the herds in Manas.

There is a lot of action in and around the Centre. Every day there are over half a dozen emergencies and rescues. Though animal scientists and volunteers are allowed to see and work with the animals at the Centre, outsiders are not allowed near the animals. They are isolated kept in a wild state so that their re-introduction into the jungles is less traumatic. However, even in the rarefied atmosphere of the Centre, Talukdar has seen some unusual bonding between the elephants and the friendly though screeching gibbons at the Centre.

The crowning glory

Both male and female rhinos have horns. The horn is just keratin or a clump of hair but is the distinguishing feature of the rhino. The horn starts growing when the rhino is two and half to three years old and keeps growing slowly till it is anything from nine to14 inches long. While the horn of the female has a narrow base and is long, that of the male is broader at the base, not as sharp as that of the female and extremely strong.

It is for the horn which is said to have aphrodisiac qualities and is used in Chinese medicine that the rhino is poached. The horn, gouged out in the most inhuman manner, is secreted out through Myanmar straight to China. AnjanTalukdar at CWRC has handled five cases of bleeding rhino whose horns have been extracted. Poachers first pump bullets into the rhino and then remove the horn. The nasal bone and horn are all removed together. If the rhino has not been killed by the bullets, it is possible to save the bleeding animal if rescued quickly.