Assam Floods: Wildlife affected at Kaziranga National Park; conservationists highlight threat of roadkills & poaching

rastern state of Assam has been ravd by incessant downpour, and along with bringing human life to a standstill, has severely affected wildlife, with a large chunk of forestland of Kaziranga National Park submerged underwater.

Speaking to Republic World, Wildlife Conservation Trust president Anish Andheria opining on calamity, accentuated on need to provide 'permanent, wide, animal passs.' 

He said, "Kaziranga is situated in floodplains of mighty Bramhaputra and hence it gets naturally inundated every year. However, when landscape wasn't fragmented due to National Highway; a battery of tea estates that are fenced; innumerable illegal quarries and above all, human habitations, animals would migrate to highlands of Karbi Anglong as floodwaters rose."

"In recent times, rapid change in land use pattern around Kaziranga makes movement of wild animals extremely challenging, resulting in disproportionately high number of deaths. forest department tries it's best to rescue whatever animal y can, but y too are helpless in front of anthropogenic pressures that have increased wrath of floods by a magnitude. only solution to this man-me recurring issue is by making it mandatory for tea estates to provide permanent, wide, animal passs; by ordering highway authority to build underpasses at multiple places along NH-37, that are at least 500 meter wide and 7 meter tall and above all close down all illegal stone quarries along migratory path of wild animals," he ded. 

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Emphasising over need for 'protection' rar than 'rescue', Toba Forest Official Anirudh Chaoji said that poachers exploit such situations and that state government and  state Forest Department is alrey alert over this situation. 

He said, "Rescue is slightly difficult here. Wild animals capture – when y are getting washed off is a difficult task. Though motorboat rescue teams of Forest Department are in place. It is t Rescue that is very important here. It is protection that needs to be ensured when animals leave safety of protected area and often reach close to human habitation." 

"Poaching is a reality of this area. And unscrupulous poachers make use of difficult situation that animals are in. Forest Department and Government is alert to this fact and has mobilized staff to keep a watch for such elements. This includes well-armed Assam Forest Protection Force," he ded. 

wildlife conservationist furr elaborated on three immediate efforts that need to be taken by Forest Officials and ted that re is an imperative need to impose a speed limit on highway, considering displacement of animals. 

Forest official said:

1. speed limit of vehicles plying on NH 37 – many animals are crossing ro. t always only large animals that can be seen from a distance. number of snakes and or smaller animals die – simply because y were t ticed in time."

2. Safety of animals that leave Protected Areas and come close to human settlements or rehabilitation sites," he ded.  

3. This is a very important case for making an elevated ro. Kaziranga has a highway passing through it. A detailed study needs to be done of maximum possibility of Crossing Zones and in such areas, highway needs to be elevated. Kaziranga is a National Herit. And floods are an annual event. Also, animals tend to cross highway even during n-flood times. Such an elevated ro will help cause.

With prevailing situation far from rmalcy, a video of a herd of deer wing through neck-deep waters and more such discomforting photographs of wildlife on social media h laid bare gravity of situation.

According to Republic TV sources, Tiger deaths have been reported as per data,  however, 2, rhis, 3 elephants, along with 5 Hog Deers, and 1 Wild Boar have died due to drowning.  

Meanwhile, 1 Sambar Deer and 8 Hog Deers died after being hit by vehicles amid floods while moving towards highlands. Along with loss of animal lives, anti-poaching camps on fringes of forest have been affected, causing an alarming situation. 

At moment, Section 144 has been imposed around Kaziranga National Part

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Here are some distressing photographs from floods: 

As per latest update, 30 out of 33 districts have submerged in state. worst affected areas are Lakhimpur, Majuli, Kaziranga, Morigaon, Barpeta and Nalbari. death toll of people owing to situation is 15.  Over 50 lakh people have been affected because of state. government has set up over 183 relief camp for people affected by floods in state. Over one lakh people are living in relief camps currently.