Wildlife Rescue Gallery

Dr. Krishnamoorthy Asokan has extensive experience in the rescue, treatment, and rehabilitation of wild Asian elephants affected by injuries, diseases, accidents, electrocution, and human–elephant conflict. He has provided emergency veterinary care to sick, injured, and distressed elephants, ensuring timely diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and recovery under challenging field conditions. His expertise includes the safe capture and translocation of wild elephants, the rescue and hand-rearing of orphaned elephant calves, long-term rehabilitation, and post-release health monitoring. Working closely with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, he has applied scientific wildlife management practices to improve elephant welfare, reduce human–elephant conflict, and support the long-term conservation of Asian elephants in their natural habitats. Among the orphaned calves he helped rescue and rehabilitate was Bommi (originally rescued as an orphan calf), which later became one of the elephants featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers, winner of the 2023 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film. This international recognition highlighted the importance of elephant rescue, rehabilitation, and compassionate wildlife conservation. Through his dedicated field service, Dr. Asokan has made significant contributions to elephant health, welfare, rescue, rehabilitation, and wildlife conservation in India.

Key Achievements Successfully treated and rehabilitated more than 100 injured snakes through advanced veterinary care and surgical intervention. Performed complex surgical procedures, including tumour (cancer) surgery and other specialized operations in venomous and non-venomous snakes. Conducted Tamil Nadu's pioneering radio telemetry research project on Indian Rock Pythons, integrating wildlife surgery with conservation science. Organized snake conservation awareness programmes for farmers, students, and the general public to reduce snakebite incidents and promote coexistence. Conducted training programmes for snake rescuers and Forest Department personnel, strengthening scientific snake rescue, handling, rehabilitation, and release practices. Promoted evidence-based reptile medicine, contributing to improved snake welfare, conservation, and human–snake conflict mitigation.

Dr. Krish Asokan has provided specialized veterinary care to more than 800 wild birds, including Indian Peafowl, Indian Black Kite, Rose-ringed Parakeet, owls, raptors, kingfishers, waterbirds, and Indian Fruit Bats brought to zoo veterinary units, forest veterinary facilities, and government veterinary hospitals. Many of these animals were rescued after being affected by climate-related stress, habitat loss, deforestation, vehicle collisions, electrocution, injuries, infectious diseases, dehydration, malnutrition, and other human-induced threats. His work included clinical examination, emergency treatment, fracture management, surgery, supportive care, rehabilitation, and successful release of recovered birds and flying mammals back into their natural habitats. Through collaboration with the Forest Department, rescue volunteers, and the public, Dr. Asokan contributed significantly to the rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation of avian wildlife, strengthening biodiversity conservation and public awareness in Tamil Nadu.

Dr. Krish Asokan has provided specialized veterinary care to a wide range of wildlife species, including hyenas, Indian gaur, chameleons, crocodiles, Indian fruit bats, and freshwater turtles. Animals were rescued after suffering from injuries, infectious diseases, road accidents, habitat degradation, human–wildlife conflict, entanglement, electrocution, dehydration, malnutrition, and other environmental threats. His work involved clinical examination, diagnostic evaluation, emergency treatment, surgery, intensive care, rehabilitation, and post-release monitoring, ensuring the successful recovery and return of animals to their natural habitats whenever possible. He also participated in wildlife rescue operations, disease surveillance, and necropsy investigations to identify causes of illness and mortality, generating valuable information for conservation management. Through close collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, zoological institutions, veterinarians, and local communities, Dr. Asokan has contributed significantly to the conservation and welfare of these diverse wildlife species, promoting scientific wildlife management, biodiversity conservation, and public awareness across Tamil Nadu.

Dr. Krish Asokan integrated radio telemetry research, clinical documentation, necropsy investigations, and wildlife disease surveillance to advance evidence-based wildlife conservation. His work included the clinical examination and surgical management of Indian Rock Pythons, radio telemetry monitoring, systematic health documentation, post-mortem investigations, and disease diagnosis in a wide range of wildlife species. These investigations generated valuable scientific information on animal health, movement ecology, causes of mortality, and conservation management. His pioneering work on radio telemetry of Indian Rock Pythons, combined with advanced wildlife surgery and long-term field monitoring, contributed significantly to reptile conservation and wildlife veterinary science. If supported by published scientific literature and official records, this project represents the first documented application of integrated surgical implantation and radio telemetry for Indian Rock Pythons in India. His clinical documentation, necropsy findings, and disease investigations have strengthened wildlife health surveillance, forensic veterinary medicine, and evidence-based biodiversity conservation.

Dr. Krish Asokan has extensive experience in field rescue, emergency veterinary care, treatment, rehabilitation, post-release monitoring, and multidisciplinary teamwork involving a wide range of wildlife species, including Asian elephants, tigers, leopards, Indian gaur, sloth bears, hyenas, deer, wild boars, jackals, crocodiles, freshwater turtles, snakes, lizards, birds, bats, and other free-ranging wildlife. Working in close collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, veterinarians, biologists, researchers, frontline forest staff, wildlife rescuers, and local communities, he has coordinated rescue operations under challenging field conditions involving disease outbreaks, injuries, electrocution, road accidents, snare injuries, poisoning, orphaned animals, habitat degradation, and human–wildlife conflict. His responsibilities included clinical examination, emergency stabilization, anaesthesia, surgery, diagnostic investigations, treatment, rehabilitation, translocation, release, and post-release health monitoring, ensuring the successful recovery and conservation of rescued wildlife. Dr. Asokan has also contributed to wildlife disease surveillance, radio telemetry monitoring, forensic investigations, necropsy examinations, and conservation research, providing scientific evidence to improve wildlife health management and biodiversity conservation. His collaborative, science-based approach has strengthened wildlife rescue systems, enhanced inter-agency coordination, and promoted evidence-based conservation practices across Tamil Nadu.

Over 15 years of dedicated service in wildlife conservation and zoo management, Dr. Krish Asokan has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to wildlife rescue, veterinary medicine, biodiversity conservation, environmental protection, and public awareness. His work has combined clinical excellence, scientific research, wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, conservation education, and evidence-based wildlife management, resulting in significant improvements in animal welfare and biodiversity conservation. In recognition of his professional achievements and commitment to conservation, Dr. Asokan has received several prestigious honours, including the Tamil Nadu Government Gallantry Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), the Biodiversity Conservation Award, the Environmental Protection and Education Awareness Award, the Puravalar Viruthu (Environment Protection and Wildlife Management Award), and numerous certificates of appreciation from government agencies, universities, and conservation organizations. These awards acknowledge his pioneering contributions to wildlife veterinary medicine, elephant rescue and rehabilitation, snake surgery and conservation, wildlife disease investigation, biodiversity research, conservation education, and community outreach. They also reflect his unwavering commitment to protecting India's wildlife and advancing scientific wildlife conservation through innovation, leadership, and dedicated field service.

Dr. Krish Asokan's contributions to wildlife rescue, veterinary medicine, conservation research, and biodiversity protection have been widely recognized through newspaper reports, television coverage, documentaries, scientific publications, and public awareness programmes. His work has been featured in leading regional and national newspapers, highlighting pioneering wildlife rescues, elephant rehabilitation, snake surgery, wildlife disease investigations, and conservation initiatives. His contributions to elephant rescue and rehabilitation gained international recognition when an orphaned elephant calf that he helped rescue and rehabilitate later appeared in the Academy Award-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers (2023), bringing global attention to compassionate wildlife conservation in India. Committed to conservation education, Dr. Asokan has delivered hundreds of public lectures, seminars, webinars, workshops, and training programmes for students, veterinarians, Forest Department personnel, snake rescuers, farmers, fishing communities, and the general public. Through these outreach activities, he has promoted wildlife conservation, biodiversity protection, environmental awareness, human–wildlife coexistence, and scientific wildlife management, inspiring thousands of people to participate in conservation efforts and strengthening public support for wildlife protection.