GUWAHATI: Assam’s famed Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) is still plagued by flood fury even though the areas under submergence inside the core of the Park has declined to 70 per cent from the maximum submergence level of 95 per cent.
The KNPTR authority has informed that so far 113 animals including 11 rhinos and 85 hog deer have died due to flood in the National Park while forest personnel with support from volunteers have rescued 140 flood-hit animals so far.
Nine rhinos have perished due to drowning while two flood-hit rhino died natural death. As many as 38 hog deer died due to drowning while 15 killed in vehicle-hit on the highway, 16 died while under treatment at CWRC. Rest 16 hog deer died of various other causes.
The forest personnel and volunteers have so far rescued 140 flood-hit animals out of which 16 died either on arrival or while under treatment at CWRC centres at Borjuri (Bokakhat) and Bishwanath Chariali. The CWRC released 115 rescued animals after treatment. Still nine flood-hit animals are under treatment with CWRC authorities.
Meanwhile, the River Brahmaputra is still flowing above the red mark at Dhansirimukh near Kaziranga National Park (KNP).