6 Wild Water Buffaloes found dead in Kaziranga in suspected lightning strike

The unusual clustering and physical condition of the carcasses suggest a high probability of death due to a lightning strike: Kaziranga National Park director

Silchar: Six endangered wild water buffaloes were found dead in the Kohora range of Assam’s Kaziranga National Park on Wednesday evening, with authorities suspecting lightning as the cause.

A team of veterinarians, forest officers, and wildlife researchers reached the site on Thursday morning to conduct post-mortems and collect forensic samples.

Forest patrol staff discovered the carcasses of four female and two male buffaloes in shallow waters during a routine patrol near the Mona Tongi camp in the Mona Beel area, park director Sonali Ghosh said.

A special inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the matter thoroughly. “The unusual clustering and physical condition of the carcasses suggest a high probability of death due to a lightning strike,” Ghosh said.

A team of veterinarians, forest officers, and wildlife researchers reached the site on Thursday morning to conduct post-mortems and collect forensic samples. “Preliminary observations from the spot, as well as the initial autopsy reports, have pointed towards lightning-induced fatalities, though a final confirmation is pending,” an official said.

Kaziranga, a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Heritage Site, is not only known for its population of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros but also shelters a significant number of wild water buffaloes.

The wild water buffalo, native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, is a species marked as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Park authorities have expressed concern over the rising incidents of extreme weather patterns in Assam, noting that such events are becoming a growing threat to wildlife. The forest department has also begun consultations with meteorological experts to better understand lightning activity patterns and explore preventive measures.