Kaziranga:The foundation stone of the CWRC Interpretation Centre was laid on Sunday at Borjuri near Kaziranga National Park to educate students and youngsters on the challenges in conserving Assam’s natural heritage.
The Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) Interpretation Centre will have three sections – Mark Shand Asian Elephant Wing, Kaziranga World Heritage Wing and IFAW-WTI Animal Rescue Wing – which will focus on key conservation issues being faced by the national park, besides highlighting the work done by Wildlife Trust of India and its partners in the various conservation initiatives in Assam.
The foundation stone was laid by Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wild Life) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam, R P Agarwalla in the presence of WTI Executive Director and CEO Vivek Menon, Elephant Family CEO Ruth Powyes and UNESCO India’s Ram Boojh, said a WTI press release.
The interpretation centre would also appeal to the senses of intellectuals in Assam as some of the interpretive graphics would highlight the historical and cultural significance of animals, especially elephants, with innovative plans to educate the masses on the Assamese treatise on elephants, the release said.
Efforts will be made to make all the exhibits interactive to keep the visitors engrossed and some of the topics on Asian elephant would be basic elephant facts, elephant ecology, human-elephant interactions, habitat and corridor securement, WTI projects on elephant conservation in Assam and an exhibit on Mark Shand, the Founder Director of the organization Elephant Family, who passed away recently. This section will also have a ‘treatment kraal’ for providing medical treatment to captive elephants, the release said.
The Kaziranga World Heritage Wing will have exhibits on the history of Kaziranga National Park, efforts of Assam Forest Department in conserving the Brahmaputra Valley, its recognition as UNESCO World Heritage site, besides interactive outdoor activi-ties for school children.
The main purpose of this wing is to spread awareness among various stakeholders, especially locals, to preserve this pristine landscape and its wild inhabitants, it said.
The third section IFAW-WTI Animal Rescue Wing will showcase the rescue and rehabilitation activities of the adjoining rescue centre CWRC which since 2002 has been involved in rescue and rehabilitation of displaced animals in Assam handling over 3,500 cases of animals in distress so far over a period of 12 years. Through this Animal Rescue Wing, the visitors will for the first time get access to live feeds of animals being nursed at the centre at the Audio-Visual presentation hall that has been planned as well, the release added.(PTI)