Kaziranga's Wildlife Habitats Devastated by Floods

A heavy monsoon in Assam has meant rising water levels in many rivers. The torrential rains have lead to devastating floods in the state from the end of May. The stituation has gradually worsened, displacing both people and wildlife. 

Kaziranga National Park has been badly affected. According to media reports, 95% of the national park&rsquos area is now flooded, with animals seeking shelter in the nearby villages. As many as 99 of the national park&rsquos anti-poaching camps are still underwater, while six of them have been shifted. 

At the time of writing, 66 animals have died due to floods. 

The Kaziranga National Park is a Unesco World Heritage site and home to one of the largest populations of the one-horned rhino. Each year, floods inundate the wildlife park, leaving animals to seek shelter in the highlands inside, or in the surrounding villages. &nbspSome animals also cross the national highway 37, in order to seek shelter. 

Rescue operations, at the national park and surrounding villages, have so far saved 117 wild animals including two rhino calves and tiger cubs each, over a 100 hog deer and eleven pythons. 

As per a report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), dated July 15, out of the total 223 camps in the national park, 153 have been affected and 14 vacated. 

A couple of days ago, a video of a tiger from the Agratoli range taking shelter in a goat shed in the Kandolimari village also surfaced on social media. The tiger later moved out of the shed and back to the range. 

According to the ASDMA report, the floods have affected 3,376 villages and over 35 lakh people.