Published 15:01 IST, July 16th 2020
Annual flood wreaks havoc in Assam's Kaziranga National Park; 121 wild animals rescued
Floods in Assam have so far claimed the lives of 76 wild animals in Kaziranga National Park as 26 districts in State continue to be affected by floods.
- India News
- 2 min read
Almost 26 districts of Assam continue to reel under floods. Apart from putting human lives in danger, the annual floods have so far claimed 76 wild animals including five one-horned rhinoceros.
With a vast portion of the Kaziranga National Park inundated by the floodwaters of Brahmaputra, 82 forest camps are still underwater out of 155 that exist in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division. According to officials, six camps have been vacated following heavy floods.
Photo Credit: HEMANTA SINGHA
Official data says that as on date, 16 camps in Agratoli, 31 in Kaziranga, 28 in Bagori, seven in Burhapahar, three in Biswanath, and 14 camps in Nagaon Wildlife Division have been inundated.
The casualty reported so far particularly from the Kaziranga National Park includes five Rhinos, two wild buffaloes, 61 hog deer among others. Out of the total 76 deaths reported, drowning has been the reason in 31 cases (including 4 rhinos), whereas 18 deaths have been reported due to vehicle hit.
So far, around 121 wild animals have been rescued by the authorities which also include 2 rhinoceros, 101 hog deers, and 11 pythons.
Photo Credit: HEMANTA SINGHA
It may be mentioned that careless driving on the National Highway that passes through the Kaziranga National Park has been a major cause of animal deaths during peak flood season every year as animals often cross the highway to reach higher places to save themselves from the floods.
This time, card provision is being implemented in the area, to ensure no overspeeding. Fine has been slapped on violators as well. According to the time card provision, any vehicle is not allowed to reach the next check post before a stipulated time. If one reaches the post before time, the vehicle needs to pay a penalty. This provision has helped in bringing down the number of vehicle hit deaths on the National Highway, apart from ensuring no overspeeding in the National Park area and particularly in the animal corridors.
On a positive note, this time no poaching activity has been so far reported from Kaziranga National Park. Poachers have always taken advantage of animal migration from the low lying areas to higher places during the annual floods.
Updated 16:23 IST, July 16th 2020