RESCUE CENTRE

Rescue Center

The National Zoo Policy 1998, provides opportunity to all the zoos to function as rescue centre for orphaned, refused, rescued wild animals subject to the availability of appropriate housing and up keeping facilities. This Park is one of the Rescue Centers launched by the Government of India in the year 1999 under Central Zoo Authority for rehabilitation of rescued animals. The park has successfully established the Rescue Center over an area of 17.50 Ha within the Biological Park limits. The Rescue Centre such established started functioning from December 2000 as an off-display area.

The Rescue Center has two wings, one for lions and the other for tigers. The lion block, known as the L-block, consists of 12 houses. Each house contains six cages connected to a kraal measuring 1,500 sq. m., with a total capacity to accommodate 72 lions. Directly opposite the L-block is a semicircular housing complex called the T-block, which is half the size of the lion block and designed for tigers. This block has five housing units, each with six animal holding rooms connected to a kraal of 1,500 sq. m., allowing the facility to house up to 30 tigers.

Rest of the centers is planned to harbor different varieties of trees and plants to create natural surrounding like forest inside the center. The rescue center is further protected.

OTHER ORGANIZATION INVOLVED IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Wildlife SOS- Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Center & Rehabilitation Center (BBRC)

Presently within the existing bear safari an area of 8.00 acres was allowed to use by the Wildlife SOS for maintenance care of the dancing bears rescued from the Kalandars which have human imprint on them. In November 2005, Wildlife SOS, in collaboration with the Zoo Authority of Karnataka and Bannerghatta Biological Park, signed a MoU to establish the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (BBRC). The BBRC joint venture project has, in its care, rescued dancing sloth bears who have been rehabilitated. Wildlife SOS has a dedicated team of 15 full time staff and two full time wildlife veterinary officers. Over 50% of the staff at the center belongs to the Kalandar families. BBRC being a rescue centre is off display to the public.

BORN FREE FOUNDATION TIGER’S LIFETIME FACILITY:

Born Free Foundation (BFF), a lifetime facility established and developed in 2001 by Born Free Foundation, an NGO to provide sanctuary space to tigers rescued from European Circuses. BFF being a rescue centre, is an off-display area which is currently utilised for Royal Bengal Tigers rescued from Human-Animal Conflict across the state after the death of all the tigers rescued from European Circuses.

BANNERGHATTA RESCUE CENTER

Bannerghatta Rescue Center (BRC) is an animals’ rearing facility for rescued wild animals by the CUPA in and around Bengaluru city. This center was started in the year 2001-02 over an area of 2.93 ha in the premises allotted by BBP in the eastern corner near Byrappanahalli. This is being managed by the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (WRRC).