Kaziranga National Park (KNP) has witnessed Assam floods claim the lives of 114 wild animals, an official said, adding that 95 other animals have been rescued.
Animal mortality in KNP rose to 77, as of Friday.
The flood killed four rhinos, while 94 hog deer drowned. There were 11 other animals who died during treatment. A KNP official stated that forest officers rescued 86 hog deer, two sambar deer, two scops owls, and one each of a rhino calf, an Indian hare, an otter, an elephant, and a jungle cat.
The official added that as of now 34 animals are under medical care and 50 others were released after treatment. A hog deer was also killed after being struck by a speeding vehicle on a highway passing through the KNP. This is the worst deluge in terms of animal mortality in KNP in recent years.
An 18-month-old rhino calf, which had taken shelter in the house of Pushpanjali Sharma in Baghmari, was subsequently rescued by members of the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation.
“Our community is at the heart of our conservation efforts. These collaborative efforts in challenging times are what truly make us Awesome Assam,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X..
Out of the 233 camps in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, 66 were inundated, down from 75 on Friday, the official reported.
Forest department employees, including security personnel, stay in camps inside the national park to patrol and protect the flora and fauna.
(With PTI inputs)
