Assam Floods: 137 Animals, Including Rhinos, Die in Kaziranga National Park

In the devastating Assam floods, 137 wild animals, including six rhinos, have died in Kaziranga National Park. Park authorities have managed to rescue 99 animals, including two rhino calves and two elephant calves.

Details of Animal Casualties

Sonali Ghosh, field director of Kaziranga National Park, reported that 104 hog deer, six rhinos, and two sambar died after drowning in floodwaters. Additionally, two hog deer died after being hit by a vehicle, one otter pup died due to other reasons, and 22 animals died under care.

Rescue Efforts

“So far, we have rescued 99 animals, including two rhinos, two elephants, 84 hog deer, three swamp deer, and two sambar,” said Sonali Ghosh. However, 70 out of 233 forest camps in the park are still underwater.

Human Impact

The flood situation in Assam has worsened, with six more people dying, bringing the total death toll to 72 as of July 8, 2024. Over 27.74 lakh people in 28 districts are still affected by the flood.

Affected Districts

The flood-affected districts include Goalpara, Nagaon, Nalbari, Kamrup, Morigaon, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, South Salmara, Dhubri, Jorhat, Charaideo, Hojai, Karimganj, Sivasagar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Dhemaji, Hailakandi, Golaghat, Darrang, Biswanath, Cachar, Kamrup (M), Tinsukia, Karbi Anglong, Chirang, Karbi Anglong West, and Majuli.

Rescue Operations

Rescue teams from the NDRF, SDRF, Fire & Emergency Services, local administration, Indian Army, and paramilitary forces are engaged in rescue operations across the state.

The severe flood situation in Assam over the past month has resulted in loss of life, extensive damage to infrastructure, road closures, crop destruction, and livestock loss. The deluge has also left hundreds of people homeless and unsettled.