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Assam floods: 200 animals including 10 rhinos killed in Kaziranga National Park
According to the park authority, the overall flood situation in the national park is now gradually improving, but 46 forest camps and parts of the park are still under water
Nearly 200 wild animals including 10 rhinos have been killed in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) in Assam due to the ongoing floods, which has affected the state since May.
Spread across 1,300 square kilometres, KNPTR, which houses over 2600 one-horned rhinos, is the largest habitat of the endangered species.
The national park also has 135 tigers among several other animal and bird species.
According to a bulletin issued on Monday morning, 198 animals have died due to floods this season including 10 rhinos, 179 hog deer, 3 swamp deer, 1 macaque, 2 otters, 1 Scops owl and 2 sambar deer.
Two hog deer were killed after they were hit by vehicles while trying to cross the national highway that passes along KNPTR in search of higher grounds on the other side.
During floods, local authorities put restrictions on vehicle movement on the stretch of the highway that passes along the park with measures like speed limits and allowing passage with escort.
“On an average around 3,500 vehicles pass through the stretch including heavy vehicles. The animals are being continuously monitored and they are crossing park into the park and the Karbi Anglong on the other side,” KNPTR director Sonali Ghosh informed.
In the past eight years, a total of 85 rhinos have died in KNPTR during floods with 24 dying in 2017 alone. No rhino deaths due to floods were recorded in 2022.
So far, authorities in the park have rescued 143 animals of which 123 have already been released.
Six animals including 2 rhinos are under treatment while 14 including 10 hog deer have died under care.
In the past few days, flood waters have receded in the park and on Monday morning only 26 of the 233 forest camps located inside were inundated.
According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), since May, 93 people have died across Assam in flood-related incidents.
Till Sunday, 244,629 persons in 18 of the state’s 35 districts remain affected by floods. Over 30,000 people displaced by floods are taking shelter in relief camps.
