India Wildlife Center Saves 68% of 10,000 Rescued Animals

For 25 years, a small team near India's Kaziranga National Park has been giving wild animals a second chance at life, and the numbers prove their approach works.

The Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) just hit a milestone that conservation experts say seemed impossible when the facility opened in 2002. The center has responded to more than 10,000 wildlife rescue cases, successfully treating and releasing 68% of those animals back into their natural habitats.

That success rate means nearly 7,000 wild animals that might have died are now back where they belong. The center was India's first dedicated facility focused on hand-raising, treating, and rehabilitating orphaned and injured wildlife before returning them home.

CWRC's work goes far beyond bandaging wounds. During Assam's recurring floods, rescue teams wade through rising waters to save stranded wildlife. They provide emergency veterinary care and work to reunite young animals with their mothers whenever possible.

The center has also played a crucial role in bringing specific species back from the brink. Since 2006, they've helped reintroduce rhinos into Manas National Park through rehabilitation programs. They've rescued and released Asiatic black bear cubs, wild buffalo, and hoolock gibbons back into protected areas across the region.

Run jointly by the Assam Forest Department, Wildlife Trust of India, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, CWRC operates two Mobile Veterinary Service units that extend their reach across eastern and western Assam. The center has become a training ground for wildlife veterinarians, biologists, and conservation practitioners across India.

The Ripple Effect

The real transformation happening at CWRC extends into surrounding communities. Through outreach programs, the center works with local residents to reduce human-animal conflict and build community-led conservation efforts. When people understand wildlife and see successful rescues, they become partners in protection rather than adversaries.

Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury, the center's lead veterinarian, credits continuous learning, scientific approaches, and community participation for their success. What started as emergency intervention has evolved into a comprehensive conservation model combining rescue, veterinary care, rehabilitation, research, training, and community engagement.

As CWRC enters year 26, they're preparing to become one of India's leading Centres of Excellence in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, proving that compassion backed by science can create lasting change for animals and people alike.