Chennai, Jan 13 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu government has announced that a rescue, treatment and rehabilitation centre (RTRC) for wild animals will come up in Pethikuttai near Sirumugai in Coimbatore.

State's forest and wild life department announced that an amount of Rs19.5 crore has been sanctioned for this project.

The RTRC at Sirumugai will come up in an area of 53 hectares and will be equipped with modern operation theaters and diagnostic tools.

Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests said that trained professionals will be in charge of the RTRC and added that this would be a centre of excellence to work at. Speaking to media persons, she said, “There will be specialised treatment and care for injured animals including elephant calves, leopards, tigers, ungulates, birds and reptiles.”

She added that the centre would focus on rewilding animals.

It may be recalled that Tamil Nadu Government had announced in state assembly in September 2021 that RTRCs would be established in the state.

The government had then informed the assembly that these RTRCs would cater to the injured, orphaned and ailing wild animals and administrative sanction was accorded for setting up RTRCs in Coimbatore, Tiruchy and Tirunelveli districts of the state.

The Tamil Nadu forest department said that Pethikuttai Reserve Forest was chosen as it was close to areas that have frequent human, wild life conflict.

The Tamil Nadu Government order said that the site where the first RTRC is coming up provides a calm and peaceful environment for comfort and safety of wild animals. Its proximity to Bhavanisagar Dam ensures adequate water for large animals, including elephants.

There will be four zones of the centre, the human zone will have an administrative complex, animal care complex, staff quarters, watchtower, storeroom facilities. The animals will be provided treatment and rehabilitation and the wild animals will be released back to the forests.