A full-fledged Wildlife Veterinary College will come up offering the course from the next academic year at Doddalavara village in Somwarpet taluk of Kodagu district.
Rs two crore grant
The long wait for a full-fledged wildlife veterinary institute is finally over, with the university admitting five students to the PG semester course started with a Rs two-crore grant from the State Government.
“Students hitherto had to go to Australia or USA to study such courses. The initiative is the first of its kind in the country as other centres are more focused on wildlife research and not on the medical aspects. Ours will be a full-fledged PG centre focusing exclusively medical aspects and treatment of wild animals,” University Vice-Chancellor Suresh S Honappagol said.
The five students enrolled are presently studying at the Hebbal veterinary college campus in Bangalore, as the construction of the building is yet to be completed. The students will utilise the facilities at the Chamarajendra Zoo in Mysore, Madikeri Wildlife Division, Sakkarebayalu elephant camp and the lion safari at Tyavarekere. The facilities will be available to the students subject to certain restrictions.
Four wings
The hostel for the students has already been constructed. The campus will have four wings - wildlife clinic, extension, management and pathology. Headed by a director, the institute faculty will comprise two professors, three associate professors and six assistant professors. Staff and faculty will be appointed based on the requirement.
The Institute level advisory board will comprise Director of Research at KVASFU, Director of Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biology (IAH&VB), Dean of Veterinary Colleges in Bangalore and Hassan, Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science at Kodagu, Executive Director of Chamarajendra Zoo, Mysore, DCF (Wildlife) of Madikeri, Professor Zoology at Forestry College at Ponnampet, T Gopal of IIH and VB and B M Arora of Indian Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Council.
The only place in South India to even have a department dealing with wildlife is at Chennai Veterinary College which deals primarily with wildlife research and not medical sciences.
