Royal couple in Assam: Elephant calves steal the show at Panbari

Kaziranga is home to the highest number of one-horned rhinos and has the highest tiger density in the country.

Kaziranga : Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and his wife Catherine (Kate), Duchess of Cambridge feed rhino calves during a visit to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga National Park, Assam on Wednesday. PTI Photo

The British royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Wednesday toured Kaziranga National Park in a jeep safari for two hours. Later, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), where they spent time with orphaned rhinos and elephants.

Kaziranga is home to the highest number of one-horned rhinos and has the highest tiger density in the country. At the park, Prince William asked about the challenges faced by the frontline staff while dealing with poachers. A Park official said the couple, who had breakfast at one of the forest guards’ camps inside Kaziranga, were briefed about anti-poaching measures taken to safeguard rhinos.

During their visit to CWRC at Panbari, just outside the national park, the couple interacted with staff and even fed some orphaned animals. But they spent most of their time with two elephant calves, Buree and Murphuli, both of whom were rescued last October. Animal keepers at the CWRC informed the British royals that both elephants were being raised on milk formula under their careful supervision. They also met Dunga, a male rhino calf, and the youngest resident of the centre.

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The CWRC is the only facility in India where orphaned or injured wild animals are raised, treated and returned to the wild. An official said that the facility had a rehabilitation rate of nearly 60 per cent. The CWRC was set up jointly by the Assam government along with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)

“We are delighted that Their Royal Highnesses made time to visit the IFAW-WTI centre and meet the staff and the animals under care…With elephants and rhinos, in particular, facing an uncertain future due to habitat loss, human conflict and poaching, IFAW is pleased that the Duke and Duchess are able to raise public awareness of these threats to an international audience,” said Azzedine Downes, IFAW President and CEO.

William and Kate also visited the Kaziranga Discovery Park, a clinic for Asian elephants being developed by the UK-based NGO, Elephant Family, in collaboration with the WTI.

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