All too often we hear of injured wild animals who are rescued and rehabilitated, only to spend the rest of their lives in captivity, deemed no longer fit to survive in the wild. In the latest episode of mid-day’s exclusive video series “Navigating the Wild”, we bring to you the remarkable story of a hyena that rescued from a poacher’s trap with an injury so severe that his leg had to be amputated. Normally, this would spell an a lifetime in captivity, but the hyena made a full recovery and was successfully released back into the wild. This exemplifies the potential for second chances in nature.

On September 25, 2022, the Maharashtra Forest Department and ResQ Charitable Trust (ResQCT) rescued an adult male hyena from the Malshiras forest in Solapur in a crucial operation. “Local villagers informed the Solapur Forest Department that a hyena was roaming around with a poacher’s trap on its right forelimb, and the forest officials called us for assistance. A senior veterinarian at ResQ estimated that it [the claw trap] been there for three to four days, based on the limb’s deterioration,” recalls Neha Panchamiya, president and founder of ResQCT.