Rajaji park gets first vet for full time in 3 decades

Jotirmay Thapliyal

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Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 18

In a major boost to wildlife conservation, the Rajaji National Park, now a Tiger Reserve, has got a full-time veterinary doctor, a first in over three decades.

Veterinary doctor Dr Aditi Sharma has been appointed as a full-time veterinary doctor at the Rajaji park. Besides being a Master of Veterinary Science (MVSC), Dr Aditi has done a Diploma in Wildlife Management from the Wildlife Institute of India.

The presence of a full-time veterinary doctor will greatly help the Rajaji park authorities in dealing with wildlife injuries. Lack of veterinary doctors often results in delayed action in cases of injured wild animals.

Rajaji park had no full-time veterinary doctor and had been seeking services from veterinarians through hire and other arrangements. The matter becomes worse during the time of emergencies when prompt availability of a veterinary doctor was a big challenge. The park authorities, for a long time, have been requesting the authorities concerned for an appointment of full-time veterinary doctor.

Rajaji Park has been vulnerable to man-animal conflicts for long. Besides having a presence of thickly populated human settlements in its close vicinity, existence of railway track inside the park which has resulted in cases of wildlife getting hit by trains and thus, the need of veterinary doctor was being felt for quite some time.

Besides external attacks, the territorial infighting amongst wildlife often led to injuries and required specialist doctors. Veterinarians also help in finding out scientific reasons behind wildlife casualties and injuries.

Further, the presence of a veterinarian also assists in conduct of post-mortem of animals. The appointment of veterinary doctor also comes as an important development for Rajaji park as it has been recently declared as Tiger Reserve. So far, the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Kumaon had a veterinary doctor among the protected areas of the state.

Talking to The Tribune, Dr Aditi admitted that the assignment at the Rajaji park would be a challenge but she was prepared to give her best. She said being an alumni of the Wildlife Institute of India, she was a wildlife enthusiast and was now keenly looking forward to work for wildlife conservation at the Rajaji park.