CHITWAN, April 12: After months of delay and procrastination, the construction of the first wildlife hospital of the country has reached the final stage.
This hospital is being constructed in Sauraha, the eastern part of Chitwan National Park (CNP). Every year, a large number of wild animals face untimely death due to lack of treatment and medication. So, the main aim of constructing this hospital is to treat those injured and sick wild animals and save them from dying.
This hospital is being built jointly by the CNP, National Park and Wildlife Conservation Department (NPWCD) and National Nature Conservation Fund (NNCF). The foundation stone for the hospital was laid on March 4, 2015. However, the construction was delayed for long due to the failure of arranging required resources, according to Ram Kumar Aryal, chief of NNCF. However, the preparations are underway to run the hospital in the next two months.
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"We have finished all the works except painting, putting tiles and placing doors and windows. But it will be completed in a couple of days," assured Aryal.
A total budget of Rs 30 million has been sanctioned for the hospital. Until now, injured and sick wild animals are treated in zoo or national parks and wildlife reserves without proper equipment, which sometimes further worsens their health. But this hospital will have all the required equipment and infrastructures for the treatment of wild animals along with specialized animal doctors. "We will be keeping equipment required for x-ray, whole body tests and for major operation of wild animals.
After the hospital comes into operation, wild animals will be rescued and treated at the hospital until they get well. Later, they will be released in their own habitat. In last one year, four male rhinos lost their life due to various reasons. Though the rhinos washed away by flood were rescued, they could not be saved even after treatment.
A large number of wild animals have been rescued in the past years due to the joint efforts of CNP and NNCF. "We have lost many rare and endangered species of wildlife in lack of treatment," said Abhinaya Pathak, chief of the eastern sector of CNP. According to him, wild animals will receive timely treatment and special care after the hospital comes into operation.
