Rundown vehicles, delayed salaries, no uniforms: Nagpur leopard attack exposes dire state of India’s first wildlife Transit Treatment Centre

It was only the beginning of a harrowing day for the rescue team. After reaching the spot, they managed to sedate the leopard, secure it, and shift it into the cage. But just minutes after leaving the area, their rescue vehicle broke down. The clutch plate had burned out, leaving the team stranded with a sedated wild animal onboard and a restless crowd eager to catch a glimpse of the wild animal. With no backup available, the team was forced to arrange a rented carrier to transport the leopard to the centre.

According to a senior forest department official, the TTC team received a distress call around 6.15 am. (Express photo/Dhananjay Khedkar)

Wednesday’s incident has laid bare the dire working conditions at India’s first TTC, a facility that provides medical or non-medical rehabilitation care to wild animals, highlighting how rescuers are forced to operate with barely functioning equipment. Located at Seminary Hills, this TTC was constructed in 2015 and paved the way for 11 more in the state.

Later that evening, The Indian Express visited the TTC in Nagpur to check the state of the centre and the condition in which the employees work.

The Nagpur TTC story

Built in 2015, the Nagpur TTC was conceptualised by Kundan Hate in 2012 when he was appointed wildlife warden of the district. Earlier, injured animals were treated at nurseries or zoos. The TTC model was showcased as a successful forest department project, after which the government decided to establish one rescue centre in every forest circle in Maharashtra. Subsequently, 11 TTCs were finalised across the state.

Wild animals are brought to the TTC for treatment, and once they are certified fit by the doctors, they are released back into the forest. So far, four leopards have fully recovered after receiving treatment at the Nagpur TTC. This is the first centre to use physiotherapy to treat leopards hurt or paralysed in road accidents.

Yet, the centre has been plagued by several problems, including funding.

No funds since April

“We have been facing problems since April this year. Funding is usually available till March, after which the department applies again in April for the coming year. We have sent all the proposals, but we do not understand why the funds have still not been released. Nagpur sodun sagli kade funding aahe (Except Nagpur, all centres have received funding),” a senior official at the centre told The Indian Express, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said funds are sanctioned under two budget heads, 2232 and 775. Under Government Resolution (GR) 2232, rescue and TTCs can seek funds for salaries, diesel, vehicle repairs, cages, cage repairs or new cages, construction, medicines, and machinery. However, it is the responsibility of the forest division to demand the funds.

A leopard entered the densely populated Shiv Nagar area of Pardi in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district on Wednesday morning and injured seven residents, one of whom is in critical condition. (Express photo/Dhananjay Khedkar)

“This is India’s first TTC, and yet there is no funding. Under the same head, Rs 20 crore has been sanctioned for the Shahpur division, which has no rescue centre, no transit centre, no jungles and no wildlife,” the official claimed. Some staff members also expressed that there seem to be some problems amidst the current Mahayuti government, and that funds were not being released for Nagpur, as it was Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ hometown.

Funds under the head 775 are meant for the development of enclosures and the centre itself. These funds are routed from the principal chief conservator of forests to the circle, which then distributes them among divisions. The circle includes Nagpur, Bhandara, Wardha and Gondia divisions. While Bhandara, Wardha and Gondia have received funds, Nagpur has not, the official said.

The funds crunch comes at a time when all wildlife from the region is being shifted to Nagpur’s TTC for treatment. A tiger captured in Gondia is under observation at the centre, a sloth bear captured in Bhandara is on its way, and a leopard from Aamgaon is also housed at the facility. “We need medicines and food for these animals every day, and that requires money,” the official explained.

He further pointed out that the cages at the TTC are in urgent need of repair. “If a wild animal breaks a cage and escapes, it will enter the city,” he warned. “We cannot run the entire facility on donations. Some good Samaritans do help when needed, but TTC is the responsibility of the forest department,” he added.

Vehicles in bad shape

“The van used during the recent rescue operation broke down midway due to a burnt clutch plate. Fortunately, a friend had a small carrier vehicle, and he was nearby, so we rented his vehicle to transport the leopard. The ambulance parked on the premises has been lying unused for the past six months. An MLA donated a carrier vehicle, but we need funds to maintain it. Another truck is also lying idle as there is no money for servicing,” the official said.

Despite the constraints, the centre reportedly has an 89 per cent recovery rate of rescued animals. “This is a major achievement of the department. We receive small donations from abroad from individuals who have seen our work, but government funds are not being released,” the official added.

Wages delayed, no uniforms

The Nagpur TTC currently has two doctors, three assistants, six helpers and three drivers—all on contract—besides forest guards and foresters working in three shifts. “During challenging operations, both government staff and contract workers are called. I ensured salaries were sanctioned, but payments are still irregular. It is already the 10th of the month, and the staff have not received last month’s salary,” the official said.

“We hardly need Rs 2-3 crore a year to run the centre, but ministers find it acceptable to buy goats worth Rs 1 crore instead,” the official remarked, referring to state Forest Minister Ganesh Naik’s remark this week that the government would “release goats worth Rs 1 crore into forests” to prevent leopards from entering human settlements in search of prey.

When The Indian Express visited the centre, some workers had taken to the whiteboard installed in the facility to write: “Pagar jama kara (Deposit our salaries)”.

So far, only Rs 75 lakh has been sanctioned for salaries.

The Nagpur TTC is the only centre that pays Rs 50,000 to veterinary doctors, who are responsible for the success rate of the treatment, while other centres pay between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000. “The recovery rate is high, yet salaries are low,” he added.

There is no uniform for the employees either. A local leader recently provided jackets, which meant that during the latest operation, the rescue team could at least be identified in the field.

There are also privatisation concerns. Of the 11 TTCs in the state, the wildlife rescue centres in Nashik, Pune and Jalgaon have been privatised.

‘No problem…funds will be released soon’

Government officials, however, denied any problem with funding. Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Vinita Vyas, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Nagpur, said, “We have sent the proposals, but the process does take time. Funds are being released; we have received the funds. The minister is very positive, and he has assured that the issue of funds will be sorted out,” Vyas added.

“Sometimes it does happen that the vehicle breaks, that is just a coincidence, it is not that we don’t have vehicles at all, we do. Machines do break down. Sir himself has instructed us to get all the repairs for the vehicles done,” she said.

Srinivasa Rao, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Maharashtra, agreed with Vyas. “There is no problem of funding for the Nagpur division. We have written to the government, the demand has been raised, and soon the funds will be released. This is a temporary problem since this is a regular process. We get the requisition from the officers and send it to the government,” Rao said.