The world famous Kaziranga National Park located in Nagaon, Golaghat and Sonitpur district of Assam in India is submerged underwater with recent floods. This situation started to get grim when floodwaters of the mighty Brahmaputra river started entering Kaziranga National Park. It is estimated that morality is over 595 wild animals reported officially. This includes 14 rhinos, 1 elephant, 1 wild buffalo, 486 hog deer, 21 sambhars, 12 swamp deer, 31 wild boars have died in the recent floods at Kaziranga National Park. Official figures released recently said that this figure is over and above the three rhinos which were killed by poachers. As the water level’s dropped to 74.5m, Kaziranga official said the figure of wild animal deaths could be much higher as large portions of the park are still under water. 

The environment and forest ministry has decided to send an official team from Delhi to review the current situation at Kaziranga National Park in wake of these flash floods. The member secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) would be visiting the reserve with his team to spot check / analyse the situation and strengthen the efforts and assist the state.

A picture view of the recent floods - Please click on right arrow to change pictures 

Floods in Kaziranga happen yearly and Kaziranga’s ecology is intricately linked with these floods. As the park is located on the southern banks of the Brahmaputra, the annual floods recharge the vast grassland and 200 - odd wetlands for the survival of carnivores and herbivores species. This year the situation has been the worst hit with massive loss to wildlife and an increase in poaching and sale of illegal bush-meat (especially wild boar & hog deer meat).

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Wild Navigator would like to thank Rahul Dutta, Raj Phukan and contributors at the Green Guard Nature Organisation Facebook Page on contributing pictures for this post.

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