Over 130 wild creatures, including six rare rhinoceroses, perished in floods at a national park in northeastern India, according to authorities.
Kaziranga National Park in Assam is grappling with its severest inundation in recent memory.
The casualties, mostly drowned, encompassed 117 hog deer, two sambar deer, a rhesus macaque, and an otter. Back in 2017, over 350 animals succumbed to floods and vehicular accidents during migrations to higher terrain.
Meanwhile, more than two million residents have been displaced by this year’s deluge in Assam. Rescue efforts saved 97 animals, with 25 under medical care and 52 released after treatment.
Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage site, hosts the largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses globally, once on the brink of extinction in the early 2000s.
The park doubles as a tiger reserve and shelters elephants, wild water buffalo, and a diverse range of bird species. It’s also home to endangered South Asian dolphins inhabiting its meandering river systems.
Recently, a heartwarming incident occurred when an 18-month-old rhino sought refuge in a village house near the park, rescued later by the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, as reported by the Press Trust of India.
Assam continues to grapple with devastating floods caused by heavy rains, pushing major rivers across the state beyond their perilous thresholds.
Torrential rains this year have submerged vast swathes of Kaziranga National Park and inundated thousands of villages, leading to tragic consequences with more than 60 fatalities and displacing over two million people.
The floods have caused extensive damage to roads, infrastructure, crops, and livestock across the region.
Kaziranga, renowned for its rich biodiversity, faces further threats as officials anticipate rising water levels in the Brahmaputra river in the days ahead.
To aid those affected, numerous relief camps have been established throughout Assam. These floods and landslides are recurring challenges during the monsoon season in northeastern India and neighboring regions.