Published 15:58 IST, July 19th 2020
Assam floods: 108 animals die at Kaziranga National Park; 80% of park's area flooded
According to Shiv Kumar, director of Kaziranga National Park, as many as 108 animals have succumbed to the floods and the death toll is likely to increase
The Kaziranga National Park has been one of the worst-hit areas by the Assam floods this year. With early 80 per cent of the national park's 430 sq km area flooded, officials have been working towards rescuing the animals stranded along its forest camps.
According to Shiv Kumar, director of Kaziranga National Park, as many as 108 animals have succumbed to the floods and the death toll is likely to increase as authorities continue surveying the areas where floodwater has receded. Among the animals that died, there are nine rhinos, four wild buffaloes, seven wild boars, two swamp deer, and 82 hog deer. On the other hand, officials have managed to save about 136 animals who have been rescued safely from the floods.
"The situation in Kaziranga is improving. Around 80 per cent of the area is still under inundation. The rhinos that went out of the national park are back again. As regards mortality, 108 animals have died so far, including nine rhinos. We rescued 136 animals. The death toll may increase as water is receding and we are conducting a survey of all areas to find out mortality," said Shiv Kumar, director of Kaziranga National Park to news agency ANI.
This comes as the state has been hit with incessant rainfall leading to severe floods in the state affecting near 36 lakh people from 28 out of the 33 districts of the state with a death toll of 105 so far, according to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
Apart from putting human lives in danger, a vast portion of the Kaziranga National Park has been inundated by the floodwaters of Brahmaputra, submerging over 82 forest camps out of the 155 that exist in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division. According to officials, six camps have been vacated following heavy floods.
(With Agency Inputs)
Updated 15:59 IST, July 19th 2020