Uttarakhand

• 03 Jul 2023

Kanvashram Rescue Center Project

Why in News?

On July 2, 2023, Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttarakhand Dr. Sameer Sinha said that in order to reduce the continuous increase in human-wildlife attacks in the state, Mrig Vihar located in Kanvashram of Lansdowne Forest Division will be converted into a mini zoo and rescue centre. A fresh exercise has been started to develop it.

Key Points:

• It is known that the wildlife in the state is turning violent and targeting the people in the populated areas. In such a situation, predatory animals (especially tigers and Guldar/Leopard) are caught and sent to rescue centres in all areas, but now there is no space left in the rescue centres available in the state to keep these Schedule One animal. That's why now the government is going to build new rescue centres and expand the old ones.
• Continuous talks are being held with the CZA to develop Mrig Vihar at Kanvashram as a mini zoo and rescue centre. Apart from this, efforts are also being made to expand other rescue centres.
• The difficulties of the Forest Department will be reduced to a great extent by the conversion of Mrig Vihar located in Kanvashram, spread over an area of about 12 hectares, into a rescue centre.
• It is known that in the year 2018, the then Forest Minister Dr. Harak Singh Rawat had taken initiative to develop Mrig Vihar as Mini Zoo and Rescue Center. During that time, in-principle approval was also given by the Central Government for this work.
• After this, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) was asked to complete the formalities in this matter, which was not completed by the Forest Department in time. After this, the matter went into cold storage. Now correspondence has been started with the CZA through the government to develop Mrig Vihar as a mini zoo and rescue centre again on behalf of the forest department.
• Except for the Dehradun Zoo Rescue Center located at Malsi in the state capital Dehradun, all the other three rescue centres are running houseful. These rescue centres do not have a place to keep even a single Schedule One wild animal.
• Five in the zoo located in Almora and six in the rescue centre, a total of 11 Guldars (Leopards) have been kept. There is no place to keep other Guldars here.
• Similarly, 11 Guldars have been kept in the rescue centre located at Chidiyapur in Haridwar. This too has become Housefull. The rescue centre at Nainital Zoo is already full.
• An injured Guldar was kept in the Rescue Center at Dehradun Zoo, which has now been released into the forest after recovering. Currently, there is not a single Guldar in the rescue centre. Anyway, only two Guldars can be kept here.