05 July,2026 12:10 PM IST | Mumbai | Tanisha Banerjee
On June 28, a blue whale calf washed ashore alive and passed away few hours later, despite the efforts by the rescue teams present. Pic/X@warlordkush
It took cranes, ropes, rescue teams, and hours of desperate effort. But for the juvenile blue whale that washed ashore on Mumbai's rocky Bandra coastline on June 28, help came too late. The 26-foot marine giant passed away by afternoon as personnel from the forest department, fire brigade, BMC, marine experts and local fishermen worked against the tide to guide it back into deeper waters. What began as a rescue mission into a sombre reminder that saving a wild animal is rarely as simple as getting it out of danger.
Every year, Mumbai's urban landscape throws people into encounters with wildlife from pythons in housing societies and crocodiles in creeks to birds tangled in kite strings, civets trapped inside buildings and marine animals drifting too close to shore.
Pawan Sharma, president of RAWW, says every wildlife relocation begins with a simple but crucial understanding that no two rescues are the same. "Wildlife relocation is totally a different exercise depending on situation to situation and species to species and, in fact, individual to individual in the same species," he says. "Even they carry personalities and characteristic behaviour just like us and, in distress, they have individual and different ways to respond." Rather than being an emotional decision, Sharma calls relocation "a scientific intervention based on proper evaluation of pros and cons for the animal, people around and conservation efforts."
According to him, protocols vary widely depending on the species involved. While a kite aggressively defending its nest may simply require authorities to cordon off the area, a leopard sighting or a snake rescue follows an entirely different set of assessments. Marine mammals, however, remain among the most difficult animals to rescue. "We need to understand that globally as well as nationally we are much behind in marine wildlife conservation," he says, adding that Maharashtra's dedicated Mangrove Cell for marine wildlife conservation was established only in 2012, meaning expertise and data are still evolving.
He also highlights the logistical challenge of coordinating multiple agencies, "The Forest Department, BMC, Fire, Disaster Management, veterinarians and marine wildlife rescuers all come from different wings, and getting all of them together for executing an emergency operation is a very big challenge.
For veteran animal rescuer Soorraj Saha, who has two decades of experience handling domestic and wild animals, one of the biggest challenges in wildlife rescue is not always the animal but everything happening around it. He is also is the Honorary Animal Welfare Officer (HAWO) appointed by the Bombay High Court to monitor, implement, and ensure compliance with animal welfare regulations across the State of Maharashtra. "The coordination is a challenge," he says, explaining that rescuers often have to secure the area, manage crowds and protect bystanders before they can even approach an animal. "Sometimes the police arrive a little late; controlling people becomes a little bit challenging because everybody is on social media and they want to force their own [opinions]."
Saha points out that most wildlife rescuers are volunteers from diverse professions, who dedicate their own time and money to rescue operations. While NGOs and experienced rescuers conduct training sessions for agencies such as the fire department, he believes India lacks a structured, standardised training system. "I think they should still have more training in a very systematic way," he says, adding that rescue courses should become mandatory.
He also calls for greater recognition and protection for volunteers who routinely risk injury while handling wildlife. "These guys should be recognised first," Saha says, suggesting government-issued identity cards, insurance coverage, and a national registry to track trained rescuers and their skill sets. He believes dedicated quick-response teams with experienced personnel would significantly improve coordination during complex rescues, especially as unusual wildlife strandings become increasingly common along Mumbai's suburbs and its coastline.
An Assistant Conservator of Forest explains the legalities and complexities involving the rescues of wild animals
Whenever some wild animal has to be rescued, it depends on the schedule of the animal," an Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) explains. Every wildlife rescue begins with the law. The response is guided by the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which classifies animals into different schedules, each carrying its own level of legal protection and protocol. While Schedule I species require stricter permissions because of their high conservation value, animals listed under Schedules II, III, and IV are governed by lesser stringent norms. The urgency of the rescue also depends on the level of threat posed to people and the condition of the animal.
The officer acknowledges that carrying out these rescues is becoming increasingly challenging as Mumbai's rapid redevelopment pushes more wildlife into urban spaces. "We are very short of staff. Budget is one of the constraints as well," the ACF says, noting that the division is responsible for the entire city as encounters with snakes, crocodiles, and other wild animals continue to rise. The shortage of manpower has made support from NGOs indispensable.
Despite these constraints, the officer says rescue teams remain committed to responding swiftly. "People are trying hard. We do our best even with the limited supplies and resources. Usually 90 per cent of the time, people are on time," the officer adds. While resources may be stretched, the commitment to protecting both wildlife and the public remains strong.
Shaunak Modi, marine ecologist, explains that whales can be stranded for various reasons like injury, illness or disorientation
According to Shaunak Modi, marine ecologist and director of the Coastal Conservation Foundation (CCF), rescuing a stranded whale involves far more than simply getting it back into the water. "Dealing with strandings can have both health hazards as well as legal repercussions," he says, noting that all marine mammals and sea turtles are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, meaning they cannot be handled without the necessary permissions from the Forest Department.
In Mumbai, CCF operates the Mumbai Stranding Response Network in collaboration with the Mangrove Foundation and the Maharashtra Forest Department's Mangrove Cell, alongside veterinarians and wildlife rescue organisations. Once a stranding is reported by first responders, the network informs the Forest Department and dispatches a trained team to assess the animal. "Depending on the species and its health, further action is taken," Modi says. While dead animals are documented, measured, and sent for necropsy, live animals are shifted for treatment before any release is considered.
Referring to the recent Bandra whale stranding, Modi says it is impossible to determine the exact cause of death before scientific examination. However, "the whale calf was weak, and was also injured from being stranded on rocks." He explains that unlike dolphins or sea turtles, whales are extremely difficult to move because of their enormous size. Even if a young whale is successfully returned to deeper waters, survival is not guaranteed. "Marine mammal calves live with their mothers for the first few years of their lives," he says. "It is essential that its mother be found and the calf is released in her presence. The odds of this happening, anywhere in the world, are quite low." Modi adds that while strandings can occur for several reasons including illness, injury, disorientation and changing ocean conditions, animals that wash ashore are often already too weak to survive on their own.
