Rehab in the wild

Sajitha PREMATUNGE

Their patients include the Fishing cat, Pangolin, Hog deer, several Eagle species, Owl species, the Purple faced leaf monkey and even pythons and other snakes who slither into houses! And the care with which they are treated is heart warming.

The Hiyare Bio-diversity Education and Research Centre has gone beyond education and research with their Animal Rehabilitation and Rescue Programme, a joint venture between the Wildlife Conservation Society, Galle and the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Although public contributions of milk foods and medicines are encouraged, the programme is fully funded by the Nations Trust Bank.

This facility is a fully equipped facility consisting of a library - accessible to anyone interested in Wildlife conservation - a lab, dormitory and a lecture hall. “This is the only facility that rehabilitates and releases animals to the wild except Eth Athuru Sewana”, said the President of Wildlife Conservation Society, Galle, Madura De Silva.

The programme treats and rehabilitates wild animals brought to them by the Zoo or the authorities, while they themselves also engage in rescue operations closer to the centre.

When they are brought to the centre they are treated by the voluntary veterinary surgeon of the Galle Wildlife Conservation Society, Devika Lakmali, then put in rehab and eventually reintroduced into the wild. But as Madura emphasises they do not translocate. “Injured animals are rehabilitated and released within close proximity to where they were originally found.”

“We have a special programme just for the rare Hog deer,” a critically endangered species whose distribution is limited to Kalutara and Galle districts. “And even these habitats are under threat from encroachment for cinnamon plantations.”

According to law, domesticating wild animals is prohibited. When the Department of Wildlife seizes these animals they are also brought to the Hiyare Bio-diversity Education and Research Centre for rehabilitation. Domesticated animals cannot fend for themselves in the wild.

“In most cases they are reintroduced into the wild without an interim period of adjustment.” At Hiyare animals are rehabilitated and trained prior to release and are closely monitored, even afterwards, by the Society.

The animals in their captive breeding programme are released within the Hiyare Rain Forest itself. The Hiyare Rain Forest has an extent of 600 acres, managed by the Forest Department and the Municipal Council of Galle.

The Hiyare Rain Forest and a 50-acre lake on site used for supplying water to the town of Galle, after abandonment, was entrusted to the various conservation activities of the Galle Wildlife Conservation Society, in 2003.

Hiyare is now home to 115 species of birds, 59 species of butterflies, 39 species of fresh water fish, 57 species of dragon and Damselflies, 60 species of reptiles and 36 species of mammals.

When a wild animal is injured their only alternative used to be the zoo, but with the Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle they have a better chance at being reintroduced into the wild.