Explained: How Assam floods have endangered animals at Kaziranga National Park

The flood situation in Assam is grim and it appears that there are no signs of improvement.On Thursday, the toll owing to the heavy rains and subsequent flooding rose by seven to 108 while another 45.34 lakh have been affected across 30 districts.Also read: Assam submerged: Heavy rains bring eastern state to standstill, leave 73 dead and 43 lakh affectedThe situation led to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma making an aerial survey of severely affected Silchar town.The flood situation also prompted Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to donate Rs 10 lakh. In a letter to the chief minister, he wrote, “As a mark of my solidarity with the people of Assam, I am donating Rs 10,00,000 from the Gaden Phodrang Trust of the Dalai Lama to support these agencies.”The Assam floods have also unleashed misery on the animals in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), prompting action from officials.Let’s take a look.Watery mess at KazirangaAccording to officials, the flooding at Kaziranga has already claimed the lives of five animals, including a leopard. The flood report made by officials revealed that of the five, were killed after being hit by vehicles while crossing the national highway, which cuts through the park. These include one leopard and three hog deer.Another hog deer, rescued during the flood died later. Three other hog deer, injured due to the floods, have been rescued by the Park authorities. A python was also rescued without any injuries, the report said.The flooding has also submerged around 18 per cent of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, spread over 1,090 sq km.KNP director Jatindra Sarma said the Burhapahar range is the worst-affected. Floods have also inundated 55 out of the 223 anti-poaching camps inside the park. “Though floods have submerged around 18 per cent of the park, the condition is not alarming at present. Animals are still inside the park. They are not coming out seeking high land as of now. Strict observation of the flood situation in the park and the movement of animals is being done,” he was quoted as telling Times of India. [caption id="attachment_10831911" align="alignnone" width="640"] The Assam floods have submerged around 18 per cent of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. PTI[/caption]A regular phenomena The Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is famous for hosting the world’s largest population of greater one-horned rhinos, is prone to flooding as it lies in the floodplains of the river Brahmaputra.Every monsoon the river overflows and submerges approximately two-thirds (66 per cent) of the park. In 2021, a total of 24 died due to flooding at the park. Of the 24, 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.Also read: Rhino population up by 200 in Kaziranga: How the Assam national park protects the endangered one-horned animalThe worst that Kaziranga experienced was in 2017 when the floods inundated over 85 per cent of the park, testing the survival skills of its animals and killing over 350 of them.Saving Kaziranga’s animalsFloods in Kaziranga have led to officials to carry out multiple rescue missions as well as put measures in place to protect the wildlife.Officials often carry out rescue missions and save rhinocerous calves that get separated from their mothers while negotiating deep water and strong swirling currents. The authorities bring them to the rescue centre where they are hand-raised under wildlife rehab protocols.NGOs, locals and the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) work together each year when the park floods to save the animals from drowning.[caption id="attachment_10831921" align="alignnone" width="640"] Locals and NGOs have combined forces along with the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation to help and rescue animals trapped in the floods in Kaziranga. Image Courtesy: @wti_org_india/Twitter[/caption]The CWRC has been training and sensitising the villagers in and around Kaziranga.Besides the efforts of the officials in rescuing the animals, the authorities have also built highlands to provide shelter to the wildlife. These have been designed scientifically with provision for adequate grass and plants yielding fruits such as elephant apple and Indian gooseberry.A News18 report states that there are a total of 144 man-made highlands in the park. Thirty-three of them were constructed in 2019 and 111 in 1990.While highlands are beneficial, they are not a long-term solution. P Sivakumar, IFS, former director, Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve was quoted as telling Sanctuary Asia magazine, "The only long-term and viable ecological approach would be to secure the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape as a unified entity."With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.