23 Jan, 2026

Stranded Rhino Calf Rescued After 24-Hour Operation in Kaziranga National Park

An intensive search operation by forest officials over the course of 24 hours allowed for the successful rescue of this stranded male greater one-horned rhinoceros calf from Kaziranga National Park's Burapahar Range. On January 21, 2026, the calf was first detected within the Sarali area; afterwards, the required instrumentation necessary for locating and capturing the calf (i.e., departmental elephants, thermal imaging drones, and forest personnel) was deployed in order to conduct a large-scale rescue operation.

Although ongoing monitoring occurred and attempts were made to find the mother, a reunion could not be achieved. The calf was successfully retrieved on January 22 and taken to the CWRC for medical care and rehabilitation. This retrieval was done under the direction of the Assam Forest Department with support from WTI.

Successful Rescue and Rehabilitation

The Eastern Assam Wildlife Division led the rescue operation with the assistance of a veterinary team consisting of Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury, Dr. Mohit Nyol, and Dr. Saurobh Borgohain, who stayed with the calf until it was found and monitored its health. After 24 hours of searching for the mother with no success, officials decided it was best to place priority on the safety of the calf and take action to rescue it. The rescued calf was taken to the CWRC at Borjuli, the leading wildlife rehabilitation centre operated jointly by the Assam Forest Department, WTI and IFAW.

Kaziranga centre has a proven track record of successfully rehabilitating over 7300 rescues and thousands more.
The centre also takes huge pride in having successfully rehabilitated multiple one-horned rhinoceros calves.
Officials indicated that this latest rescue continues Kaziranga's commitment to wildlife conservation, the scientific rehabilitation of animals, and the protection of endangered species such as the greater one-horned rhinoceros.