Support Karunashram - Ashish Goswami’s Mission To Save Tigers, Bears and Wildlife

At Karunashram, every rescue is a race against time and often against odds. With limited resources and no assured funding, the team at this modest centre in Wardha continues to step into some of the most challenging wildlife rescue situations imaginable. From injured cattle found on highways to intense human–wildlife conflict cases, Karunashram responds wherever an animal has nowhere else to turn.

Despite these constraints, the centre has built a reputation for handling complex and high-risk rescues with exceptional care and skill. It is among the few facilities in Central India to successfully rescue and rehabilitate endangered pangolins, using specialised husbandry practices and gaseous anaesthesia machines, a pioneering effort in the region. 

Their work has also brought injured vultures back to the skies and safely resolved dangerous tiger and leopard rescues, where precision and patience matter more than force. Drawing from global best practices, the team has even adopted the Boma technique from South Africa, creating safe enclosures that protect both animals and people during rescue operations. Handling venomous snakes such as cobras, kraits, Russell’s vipers, and pythons has become a routine yet critical part of their work, carried out by trained hands and steady resolve.

Founded in 1999, Karunashram is run by People For Animals (PFA) Wardha and stands quietly in the heart of Maharashtra, not as a large, well-funded institution, but as a place built on commitment and compassion. What began as one man’s lifelong love for animals has grown into a lifeline for wildlife across the region. Without the cushion of government support, every rescue, every treatment, and every release back into the wild is powered by determination, expertise, and the belief that even with limited means, every life is worth saving.

The journey began when Ashish Goswami, highly inspired by Baba Amte, visited his camps while still in the tenth grade. Ashish was moved by what he witnessed and wrote a letter to Maneka Gandhi expressing his desire to help animals. Her response changed his life. She encouraged him, claiming that very few people actually devote themselves to animals, and guided him in forming a society. “Humans always have options. Animals don’t. That is why we must choose compassion for them.” says Ashish. 

PFA Wardha came into being thanks to her backing. Years later, in 2022, the district collector assisted in allocating land for a shelter, but no additional government financing was made available. Karunashram relies largely on the generosity of the contributors, many of whom help in providing equipment, drugs, surgical tools, and rescue gear rather than money.

Karunashram, which covers 25 acres, was built to rehabilitate both wild and domestic animals. Five acres are dedicated to the rehab center, hospitals, and enclosures, while the remaining 20 acres are hilltop plantations that have greatly enhanced local wildlife. The Central Zoo Authority has approved the institution, and its aim is clear: to rescue, treat, rehabilitate, and release animals back into the wild whenever possible.

Karunashram has treated over 300 animals, including around fifty wild species, and maintains separate sections to ensure proper care. Apart from rescues, the centre plays an important role in capacity building, educating Rapid Rescue Teams and forest department officials throughout Vidarbha in safe animal handling and rescue methods.

Looking ahead, Karunashram intends to expand its enclosures and medical facilities in order to assist even more animals. Ashish Goswami's message is clear and urgent: "We do not differentiate between wild and domestic animals." Every life is worthy of health, dignity, and care. We need help to make that a reality."

Your support can be the difference between suffering and survival.

Donate today and help Karunashram save lives.