From surgery to DNA banks, Kashmir’s lone wildlife hospital provides best care for wild creatures

Srinagar, Mar 30: The lone wildlife hospital at Dachigam National Park in Srinagar, which opened two months ago, provides top amenities and medical help to rescued and seriously injured animals. From surgery to Genetic testing, wild animals receive all necessary health treatment at the hospital.
The cutting-edge hospital opened its doors two months ago, with all of its high-tech amenities, including therapy, medications, and a diagnostic lab, operational.
District Forest Officer (DFO) Wildlife, Central Division (Srinagar), Altaf Hussainstated that the hospital, which has yet to be officially opened, is operating extremely well and that all amenities have been established at the hospital, which is nestled inside the green meadows of Dacchigam.
“We can do surgery on any animal if necessary. All of thehigh-tech equipment has been put in the facility, and this is a unique facility here,” he explained.
“We hope that this hospital will put Kashmir on the map for humane management of wild animals which will go a long way to address the protection and conservation,” he said.
The government has also procured the latest equipment for the molecular laboratory where even DNA of the animals is extracted.
“The research centre will also cater to the research aspect by serving as a DNA bank, which will help in forensics and allied activities of conservation projects. In other words, it will act as a lifetime repository and cover all the species. If a species is under threat and wild animals suffer any disease this is the best possible way to protect them,” he said.
The lab of the first-of-its-kind hospital in Jammu and Kashmir is also equipped with high-end facilities like microscopes, incubators, minus 40 refrigeration and other facilities.
“What used to happen in the past is that even if any animal would suffer any injury, usually the rescued or injured animals were taken to Shohama veterinary facility in Central Kashmir. With this centre in place, we have an advanced secondary and tertiary care facility available in the park itself and best treatment facilities are available for wild animals,” he said.
Interestingly, two weeks ago the veterinary surgeon at the hospital conducted first of its kind USG of a leopard who had some health issues and he was treated.
“Whenever we receive any animal with trauma, they are rehabilitated and given all the treatment. If they need surgery or need to be operated we go for the surgery. This is the major advantage of this facility,” he said.
Although the Wildlife Department has posted staff at the facility, there is a shortage of manpower. “We are also trying to find right ways to augment the facility,” the DFO said.
The hospital also has a mobile ambulance van just like the normal ambulances of hospitals which is used to transport or refer injured wild animals to the main hospital.
Altaf said the wildlife hospital also has a research facility which is open to researchers and those who want to know more about the biology of wild animals.
“We are focused on research labs. Before, we were dependent on research labs of the country.That is kind of a breakthrough that we have achieved in animal research.” Students and teachers in colleges and universities can even come if they have some project.