A total of 14 wild animals have perished in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) as 70 per cent areas of the park have been inundated due to the devastating floods in Assam.
KNP authorities in a statement said 155 camps of the national park were submerged in flood water on Sunday.
Park officials said 14 animals including eight hog deer and three elephants have so far lost their lives in the UNESCO world heritage site due to the flood.
While four animals (three elephants and a hog deer) lost their lives because of drowning in floodwaters, four dog deer died after being hit by speedy vehicles on National Highway (NH) 37, said an official statement.
Forest staffs of the park and locals have rescued 17 wild animals who had moved out of the park and six of them have been released in the safe forest area of the national park after treatment, it said.
According to park authorities, four camps in Bokakhat beat, 37 camps in Agaratoli range, 50 camps in Kohora range and 38 camps in Bagori range in the Eastern Assam division of the park have been inundated by flood waters.
On the other hand, under Biswanath Wildlife Division, two camps in Western range and 6 camps each in Central and Eastern Ranges have been submerged by rising flood water.
Park officials further said that additional staff has been deputed from adjoining divisions to perform patrolling and other flood time duties in the Park.
“Volunteers from the NGO’s are being deployed including VDPs for monitoring the animal movement and for reducing speed of the vehicles on NH 37,” said an official.
A flood monitoring cell and control rooms have been established in all the Range offices and the Division office, Bokakhat to regularly monitor the flood levels and update the same, he said.
The official further said emergency response teams have been constituted in each range to react immediately in cases of emergency.
“The Emergency Response Teams equipped with mobile, wireless sets are on the move along the NH-37 and other public roads within their ‘respective range jurisdiction to regulate the movement of vehicular traffic and to facilitate migration of wildlife to high areas located along the southern boundary of the Park,” he added.
To reduce mortality of migratory wildlife from being run over by speeding vehicles on the N.H.-37 and some being poached for meat and horn, the civil authorities of Bokakhat and Kaliabor Sub-Divisions promulgated Sec.144 prohibiting carrying of lethal weapons, fire arms as well as bows and arrows.
Time cards are being provided to vehicles coming from both sides of the Park to provide utmost security to animals from being hunted.
Speed limit have been restricted to 40 km/hr for regulation of vehicular traffic on the N.H-37 within their respective jurisdiction from Bokakhat to Jakhalabandha, said the official.
