Guwahati, Jan 23: Forest staff at Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNP&TR) rescued a male rhinoceros calf stranded in the Burapahar range on Thursday, officials said.

The calf was first spotted on the evening of January 21 in the Sarali area. A search for the mother was immediately launched by a team led by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, using departmental elephants, thermal drones, and frontline staff. A veterinary team comprising Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury, Dr. Mohit Nyol, and Dr. Saurobh Borgohain monitored the calf on-site.

Despite over 24 hours of efforts, the mother could not be located. Field Director Dr. Sonali Ghosh said that to ensure the calf’s safety, it was rescued at around 4 p.m. on January 22 and transported to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) for treatment and rehabilitation.

Established in 2002 by the Assam Forest Department, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), CWRC has rescued over 7,397 animals from 357 species and released approximately 65% (4,490) back into the wild, including 25 hand-raised rhinos. The centre currently houses three rhino calves; two males were translocated to Kaziranga on January 20 following international protocols and are now habituated in pre-release enclosures.

The rescue operation involved veterinarians, DFO Arun Vignesh CS, range officers, and experts including Dr. Rathin Barman, Kaushik Barua, and Dr. Anupam Sarmah. Dr. Ghosh highlighted the park’s commitment to scientific conservation, providing flood-affected animals like the greater one-horned rhino a chance to survive and return to the wild.