Assam: Hand-raised elephants will return to wild

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http://www.wildlifetrustofindia.org/html/news/2007/070223_hand-raised_elephants_\

will_return_to_wild.html

 

Hand-raised elephants will return to wild

 

Kaziranga, February 23, 2007: WTI (Wildlife Trust of India) and IFAW

(International Fund for Animal Welfare) will move six hand-raised

elephant calves today from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and

Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga to Doimari in Manas National Park.

 

The elephants will be reintegrated to a wild herd in Doimari, after

they are familiarized to the area.

 

This will be the first exercise in India after Sri Lanka and Kenya to

have successfully released hand-raised elephants into the wild.

 

The elephants will be put on three trucks for their 450 kms journey to

Doimari.

 

" They will be allowed to move freely in the jungle during day time

under the supervision of the keeper, and at night they will be

sheltered in a stockade - built in an area of 1 hectare (about 10000

sq. meters) for their security. " Dr. N. V. K. Ashraf, Director Wild

Rescue of WTI, said.

 

Doimari in Manas is a prime elephant habitat and is far from the

nearest human habitation – ideal for their release.

 

Besides, this is the biggest continuous forest habitat (Unfragmented

habitat) in the north-east region that extends from Assam upto Bhutan.

 

" All the six elephants are being radio-collared for post-release

monitoring. Incase there is a problem we can follow them for rescue. "

Dr. Bhaskar Choudhry, wildlife veterinarian of WTI said.

 

The elephants are between 6 to 2-and-a-half-years old and were

hand-raised in CWRC.

 

 

They were rescued at a young age from different parts of Assam and

have been at the centre for last one to five years.

 

M. C. Malakar, Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam and D. M. Singh, Kaziranga

Park Director will be present at their send-off from the centre.

 

Kampa Borgoyari, Deputy Chief of the Bodo Territorial Council (BTC)

will receive the elephants in Manas.

 

The exercise is part of the elephant rehabilitation programme

initiated by WTI and IFAW with support from the Assam Forest Department.

 

A six-member veterinary team comprising doctors from the College of

Veterinary Science, Guwahati, Dr. Bijoy Dutta and Dr. Bhupen Sarma,

Dr. Bhaskar Choudhry, Dr. Anjan Talukdar, and Dr. Ashraf of WTI, and

Dr. Raj Jyoti Deka (as independent consultant) will accompany the

elephants.

 

A. J. Cady, Director Animals in Crisis and Distress, IFAW, and Vivek

Menon, Executive Director, WTI will also accompany them.

 

A. J. Cady, will symbolically release the elephants in Manas,

signifying their arrival to their new home.

 

CWRC is India's first multi-species rehabilitation facility set up in

partnership between WTI, IFAW and the Assam Forest Department.