Kaziranga casualty count 110 as more carcasses surface
GUWAHATI: As floodwaters start receding, the destruction it has left behind comes to light. Kaziranga National Park, a world heritage site and home to over 2000 onehorned rhinos, has not been spared by the second wave of floods as 27 more animal carcasses, including three rhinos, were found on Friday. This takes the toll to 110 which includes 10 one-horned rhinos. Nine of the 10 dead rhinos had died due to drowning as the 430 sq km park remained under water since July 13. Apart from rhinos, 77 hog deer have also died due to drowning and collision with vehicles while escaping the inundated national park. Exhaustion and lack of treatment has also caused the death of many animals. One sambar deer was also killed by a car. Seven sambar deer, six wild boars, five swamp deer, two porcupines, one elephant and one wild buffalo drowned when the water level in Kaziranga had crossed four feet at several places inside the park. Rohini Ballav Saikia, Kaziranga divisional forest officer, said that the tigress which came out of the flooded Kaziranga on the fringe of the park on Thursday has “safely” moved to the forested area. After coming out of the Kaziranga, the exhausted tigress took shelter in an antechamber of a shop at Bagori area outside the park all through the day and in the evening moved to a vegetable garden about 100 meter away from the park boundary. “We expect that the tigress has moved to the forest areas of Karbi Anglong at night. She might have also entered the park as floodwaters are fast receding,” Saikia said.
On Friday, the flood situation had significantly improved with KNP authorities recording 130 cm fall in water level. KNP officials said that at present about 65% of Kaziranga remains under water. However, 53 out of 199 antipoaching camps remain inundated. “With the water level receding, we are stumbling upon more animal bodies. The drop in water has made us accessible to areas inside the park which was not possible when the flood was at its peak. Majority of the animals died of drowning as they could not escape the flood. The bulk of the casualties comprised calves,” Saikia added
source : TOI
