Veterinary Surgeon

Role Context: The Veterinary Surgeon plays a critical role in the rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and release of distressed, injured, orphaned, displaced, and conflict-affected wildlife within the Kaziranga landscape and other designated areas of Assam. The position is responsible for providing professional veterinary care, ensuring adherence to wildlife welfare standards, supporting disease surveillance and diagnostics, and contributing to conservation outcomes through scientific wildlife management practices.

The incumbent will work closely with the Assam Forest Department, Kaziranga National Park authorities, project teams, and other stakeholders to ensure effective wildlife rescue and rehabilitation interventions while maintaining compliance with applicable wildlife, veterinary, and organizational policies and protocols. The Key Responsibilities are as follows –

• Support preparation of project implementation plans, annual work plans, technical proposals, budgets, and progress reports.

• Respond to wildlife rescue emergencies and provide timely veterinary intervention to injured, distressed, orphaned, or displaced wildlife.

• Plan and undertake safe capture, restraint, immobilization, transportation, stabilization, and treatment of wildlife using approved veterinary protocols.

• Provide comprehensive veterinary care, including diagnosis, treatment, surgery, anesthesia, post-operative care, and rehabilitation of rescued wildlife.

• Ensure humane handling, husbandry, and welfare of all animals under care, following recognized national and international wildlife management standards.

• Facilitate the rehabilitation and release of rescued wildlife in accordance with organizational protocols, legal requirements, and IUCN guidelines.

• Support conflict mitigation interventions involving wildlife and provide technical recommendations for appropriate rehabilitation or placement of displaced animals.

• Conduct post-release monitoring activities, where feasible, to assess the success of rehabilitation and release efforts.

Wildlife Health, Disease Surveillance & Research

• Investigate wildlife morbidity and mortality cases and support disease surveillance activities across the project landscape.

• Conduct necropsies and ensure proper collection, preservation, documentation, and dispatch of biological samples for laboratory investigations.

• Monitor and investigate emerging infectious, zoonotic, and reverse zoonotic diseases affecting wildlife populations.

• Maintain accurate veterinary records related to treatment, anesthesia, surgery, diagnostics, laboratory investigations, mortality, and rehabilitation outcomes.

• Contribute to wildlife health research, documentation, scientific publications, and technical reports in consultation with project leadership.

• Promote evidence-based veterinary practices and support development of wildlife health protocols and standard operating procedures.

Facility Management & Animal Care Oversight

• Ensure maintenance, hygiene, biosecurity, and operational readiness of rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and quarantine facilities.

• Monitor the condition and welfare of animals housed within the rehabilitation centre and ensure adherence to established husbandry standards.

• Coordinate procurement and proper utilization of veterinary medicines, equipment, consumables, and diagnostic supplies.

• Ensure proper inventory management and maintenance of veterinary assets and equipment.

Project Planning, Monitoring & Reporting

• Maintain comprehensive records and databases of all wildlife rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, release, and monitoring activities.

• Prepare and submit monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, annual, and donor reports within prescribed timelines.

• Ensure timely submission of statutory reports, permits, approvals, and documentation required by regulatory authorities.

• Participate actively in project review meetings, planning exercises, and organizational monitoring processes.

Stakeholder Coordination & External Relations

• Coordinate with the Assam Forest Department, Kaziranga National Park authorities, veterinary institutions, laboratories, and partner organizations as and when required.

• Provide veterinary support during wildlife translocations, disease investigations, wildlife emergencies, and other conservation interventions undertaken by government agencies.

• Represent the organization in meetings, workshops, conferences, training programs, and relevant national or international forums.

• Support outreach, awareness, and communication initiatives related to wildlife health, rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation.

Financial & Administrative Responsibilities

• Ensure optimal utilization of project resources and compliance with approved budgets and financial procedures.

• Verify and submit bills, invoices, utilization records, and expense statements in a timely manner.

• Assist in preparation of annual budgets, procurement plans, and resource requirements for veterinary operations.

• Ensure compliance with organizational administrative, financial, procurement, and audit requirements.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure all wildlife handling, treatment, transportation, rehabilitation, and release activities comply with applicable provisions and other relevant laws and regulations.

• Maintain compliance with organizational policies relating to ethics, animal welfare, occupational health and safety, safeguarding, and risk management.

• Adhere to institutional guidelines, veterinary standards, and statutory requirements governing wildlife rescue and rehabilitation operations.

Any Other Responsibilities

• Cooperate and coordinate with other projects and divisions of the organization to achieve institutional goals.

• Undertake any additional responsibilities assigned by the Project Head, Division Head, Principal Investigator, or organizational leadership from time to time.