GUWAHATI, July 16 - Around 38 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) area is still under floodwater, even as floodwater level in the National Park is maintaining a falling trend and around 15 cm of floodwater recession was recorded today. Areas of 68 anti-poaching camps of the National Park are still under floodwaters, said a report of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division here this afternoon.
The current wave of flood has taken the lives of 78 wild animals of the Park since July 5. Of these, 13 were hit by the vehicles, while 51 were drowned. Altogether 103 animals have been rescued and released to the wild after providing treatment by the Forest officials, the CWRC team and the local people. Of the animals released to the wild, 100 are hog deers and three are swamp deers.
Two of the rescued animals are still under treatment of the CWRC team. One of these two animals is a hog deer and the other is a rhino, said the report.
Floodwaters have so far forced evacuation of seven anti-poaching camps of the National Park. Two of these camps belong to the Kohora-based Central Range of the Park. They are - Bokabeel and Thungru. The Biswanath-based Northern Range has four such camps evacuated. They are-Gaitapu, Gopaljaroni, Hockfloat and Kohua. The Agoratoli-based Eastern Range has one such camp. It is - Sapekhati.
Since July 5, the Forest officials, the CWRC team and the local people rescued 119 wild animals and of these animals 115 were hog deers. Of the drowned animals, the Hog deers top the list with 36 cases, while there are four cases of drowning of swamp deers and an equal number of rhinos also were found drowned during the period. Of the dead hog deers, 14 were found dead on arrival by the CWRC team, the report said.
