Rehabilitation of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros Calves in Manas National Park, A World Heritage Site in India

For the first time in the history of rhino conservation in India, three rescued orphan greater one-horned rhinoceros calves have been rehabilitated in an area that in the recent past was a good habitat for rhinos. The calves were rescued in Kaziranga National Park (NP) when they were about one to five months old when they were swept away by flood waters. The calves were hand reared and nursed at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) with the aim of releasing them into their natural habitat. They were fed human milk formula until they reached two years of age, and then with concentrates and greens in paddocks in CWRC. At the age of about three years the calves were translocated to Manas NP, about 500 km away from Kaziranga, and placed in a pre-release area measuring 600 acres. This pre-release area is enclosed with an electric fence and the calves were free to roam and forage within it. After spending about two years in this area the calves were released into Manas NP. The calves were radio monitored for two years; they all survived and created their own home ranges.