Kathmandu (RSS): The first ever wildlife hospital in Nepal has come into operation. Secretary at the Ministry of Forest and Environment, Viswanath Oli, inaugurated the hospital, which is being constructed along with the National Nature Conservation Fund and the Biodiversity Center Sauraha Office.
As reported by Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), the hospital will provide services for the treatment and management of sick, helpless, disabled and injured wild animals due to various reasons. Injured and sick wild animals were brought to the hospital for treatment in Bardiya National Park and other parts of the country.
The construction of the hospital was started in 2014. Although the construction was completed a year ago, the hospital could not come into operation due to lack of necessary equipment and medicine. About Rs 39 million has been spent on the construction of the hospital, said Dr. Baburam Lamichhane, head of the fund.
The government, WWF Nepal and Denver Zoo also provided assistance to build the hospital. The well-equipped two-storey building has a wildlife OPD, lab, operating room, office, dispensary, staff quarters and meeting room. Earlier, people used to use a state-of-the-art technology to treat wild animals but now they can be treated without affecting the wild animals, said the doctor.
Chief Conservation Officer of the National Park, Ananath Baral, informed that the Chitwan National Park and the Fund have jointly prepared ‘Wildlife Hospital Management Procedure 2020’ for the operation of the hospital. Arrangements have been made for the operation of the hospital by the staff of the veterinary branch of the park office, wildlife technicians and veterinarians.