More than 130 wild animals, including six rare rhinos, have tragically perished in the worst flooding Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India, has faced in recent years. The park, renowned for its diverse wildlife and status as a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been ravaged by torrential rains, causing major rivers to overflow and inundate vast areas.
Among the casualties are 117 hog deer, two sambar deer, a rhesus macaque, and an otter, many of whom succumbed to drowning as floodwaters engulfed their habitats. Officials have mounted rescue efforts, saving 97 animals, with 25 receiving critical medical care and 52 successfully released after treatment.
Kaziranga is famed for harboring the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, a species that teetered on the brink of extinction in the early 20th century but has since flourished under conservation efforts. The park also serves as a vital sanctuary for tigers, elephants, wild water buffalo, and a multitude of bird species, alongside endangered South Asian dolphins in its riverine ecosystems.
The ongoing monsoon deluge has not only devastated wildlife but also displaced over two million people across Assam, claiming more than 60 lives. Infrastructure damage, crop loss, and livestock casualties add to the region’s woes, with authorities bracing for further rain and rising water levels in the Brahmaputra River.
Relief efforts are underway with numerous shelters established to aid the displaced, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated rescue and rehabilitation efforts amidst the recurring natural disasters in this vulnerable region.
Conservationists and local authorities are mobilizing to protect and preserve the park’s biodiversity in the face of escalating climate challenges.
Melissa Enoch
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