A total of 24 wild animals have been reported dead in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve due to floods and other reasons. Officials of the KNP & TR said the 24 dead animals comprise 17 hog deer, two rhino, one wild buffalo, two swamp deer, a python and a cap langur.
The park authority said while the flood situation in the national park has gradually improved, at least 30 per cent of areas of the park are still underwater. 21 out of 223 anti-poaching camps in the park are currently submerged, the official said. “Out of 24 animals, six animals including a rhino, three hog deer, one wild buffalo, one swamp deer drowned in flood waters in the park. Apart from it, 11 animals including nine hog deer, one python and one cap langur died in a vehicle hit on National Highway 37 which is passing through the national park,” an official of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve said. The official further said that four animals, including a rhino and three hog deer, died due to natural causes. During the flood, the park authority and the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) at Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve have rescued four animals, including a rhino calf and three hog deer from the outer fringe of the central range near Mihimukh highland.
The authorities are keeping a close tab on the movement of animals that cross over the National Highway running through the park and face the risk of being run over. To prevent the death and injury to the animals, speed limit is strictly enforced by forest and district administration officials and penalty is imposed for any violation.
