NEW DELHI: The Centre’s decision to expand wildlife rescue infrastructure across India’s tiger landscapes could strengthen conservation efforts in Jharkhand, where forest authorities are expected to assess the implications of the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) proposal to establish additional Rescue-Rehab-Release (RRR) facilities.
The proposal was discussed at the 29th meeting of the NTCA, chaired by Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav in Coimbatore.
The Authority unveiled a strategic roadmap recommending the establishment of 38 additional temporary or transit RRR facilities to improve emergency response for injured, sick, orphaned and conflict-affected wild animals.
According to the roadmap, 40 wildlife rescue facilities are currently operational across 36 of India’s 58 tiger reserves.
The report identifies geographical gaps in the existing network and recommends additional facilities to strengthen rescue, rehabilitation and the safe release of wild animals.
The proposed centres will provide emergency veterinary care and temporary rehabilitation for animals affected by injuries, disease, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, displacement and other emergencies before they are released back into the wild.
For Jharkhand, the initiative is significant for the Palamau Tiger Reserve, the state’s only notified tiger reserve. Forest officials are expected to examine whether the reserve could benefit from the proposed expansion of the national rescue network.
The NTCA said wildlife rescue should remain a specialised conservation intervention and not become routine human interference in natural ecological processes.
Rescue operations, it said, should be limited to animals requiring immediate assistance because of injury, illness, entrapment, orphaning or other exceptional circumstances.
The proposed facilities will function under guidelines issued by the Central Zoo Authority, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the NTCA and the respective state forest departments.
The roadmap also recommends integrating rescue infrastructure into Tiger Conservation Plans to ensure systematic implementation, funding and long-term sustainability.
The Authority also approved its Annual Report for 2024-25 and discussed the next cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation of tiger reserves, a Tiger Conclave to mobilise conservation funding, and STRIPES, a national forum for research and knowledge sharing on tiger conservation. - The Statesman/ANN
