Rescuing wildlife against all odds

Around-the-clock care

Caring for a newborn rhino demands intensive monitoring and patience. Veterinarians and animal keepers at CWRC work in shifts to provide feeding, treatment, and observation throughout the day and night.

The calf was bottle-fed a specially prepared milk formula, custom-designed in India, to approximate the nutritional profile of rhino milk. Feedings were carefully measured and delivered at frequent intervals to help stabilise his digestion and provide steady energy. As the days passed, the team monitored hydration, body temperature, weight gain, and overall behaviour to assess whether his organs and digestive system were beginning to strengthen.

Gradually, the calf began showing encouraging signs. He drank eagerly from his bottle and started nibbling on small amounts of fresh vegetation, an early indicator that his digestive system might be beginning to adapt. These moments matter deeply in wildlife rehabilitation. Each small improvement signals that a fragile animal may be gaining the strength needed to survive.

The people behind the care

Behind every rescued animal at CWRC is a group of people who quietly dedicate themselves to that animal's survival.

For this rhino calf, one of those people was Dr Bhaskar Choudhury, a senior wildlife veterinarian with WTI who has spent decades caring for injured and orphaned wildlife across northeast India.

For weeks, he remained close to the calf's side, monitoring his condition and adjusting treatments as needed. He spent this time away from his own family, committing long days and sleepless nights to supporting this young rhino's attempt at survival.

Animal keepers also formed part of the calf's small circle of care, preparing bottles, monitoring room temperature and humidity, cleaning enclosures (required after every urination), and offering the calm, familiar presence that young animals often respond to.

In rehabilitation centres like CWRC, these relationships can become powerful. And it makes the difficult moments even harder.