Floods: 98 Deer, 14 Rhinos Among 132 Animals Dead in Kaziranga

Over 85 percent of the 430 sq km Kaziranga National Park still remains flooded.

Rhinos wade through flood-ravaged Kaziranga National Park, Tuesday, 21 July.

(Photo: PTI)

At least 132 animal deaths were reported at the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, Bokahat due to drowning and other reasons, so far, the government of Assam notified.

The deaths include 14 rhinos, 5 wild buffaloes, 8 wild boars, 2 swamp deer, 98 hog deer, 1 sambar, 3 porcupines, and 1 Python.

Officials told news agency IANS that over 85 percent of the 430 square kilometre Kaziranga National Park still remains flooded.

The officials said that besides Kaziranga National Park, located on edge of the eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots of Golaghat and Nagaon districts, the Manas, RG Orang and Tinsukia national parks, and the Pabitora and Tinsukia wildlife sanctuaries were also affected and many wild animals have perished.

Assam has recorded 16 percent excess rainfall so far since 1 June, when the four-month-long monsoon season started. Since 1 June, Assam recorded 934.8 mm rainfall against the normal 806.5 mm, said the officials of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

The ASDMA officials said that of the state's 25 lakh people hit by the floods in 23 of the state's 33 districts, around 17.27 lakh are in the state's five western districts – Goalpara (4,70,253), Barpeta (395,456), Morigaon (3,33,367), Dhubri (2,78,841) and South Salmara (2,49,423).

At least 102 persons have died so far in the ongoing floods in Kokrajhar, Kamrup (Metro), Baksa, South Salmara, Darrang, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Morigaon, Dhubri, Nagaon, Nalbari, Barpeta, Dhemaji, Udalguri, Goalpara and Dibrugarh districts, while 26 others were killed in landslides since 22 May.

(With inputs from IANS.)