Rudrapur, March 9 -- The administration of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) is considering setting up another rescue centre for wild animals and birds in the Dhela zone to provide treatment and care to injured wildlife, officials aware of the development said. At present, the existing rescue centre in the Dhela range houses only big cats, mainly tigers and leopards rescued from various parts of the Kumaon region. The proposed facility aims to expand the scope of rescue operations by accommodating herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and birds that require medical attention and rehabilitation. "Till now we house only tigers and leopards at the Dhela rescue centre. We have chalked out a plan to establish another rescue facility where injured herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and birds can be kept and provided proper medical treatment," said Saket Badola. According to forest officials, the current rescue centre in the Dhela zone houses 14 tigers and 16 leopards. Most of these big cats fall under the "problematic" category and were either tranquillised or captured in cages after incidents of human-wildlife conflict in different parts of the Kumaon region. Badola said a large number of animals and birds in the reserve suffer injuries due to natural causes, territorial fights or accidents, but many fail to survive because of the lack of specialised treatment facilities. "Several species of herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and birds are found in abundance in CTR. They often get injured due to natural reasons or infighting and require medical care to recover. Our staff try their best to save them, but in many cases they die due to lack of proper treatment facilities," he said. Once the new rescue centre is established, veterinary teams will be able to provide timely treatment and rehabilitation to injured wildlife before releasing them back into their natural habitat, officials said. Herbivorous animals, which primarily feed on plants and fruits, include species such as deer, antelope, monkeys and wild boars. Carnivores, on the other hand, prey on other animals and include predators such as tigers, leopards, foxes, hyenas, wolves and snakes. Omnivores such as bears and foxes feed on both plant matter and meat. Officials said the proposed facility would also benefit birds found in the reserve. CTR is home to nearly 600 species of birds, including around 30 species of raptors. Badola said the reserve administration has already sent a proposal to the state government for approval. "If we get the nod, work on the new rescue centre will begin. Several enclosures will have to be developed for different species," he added....