DIPHU, July 19 - �The Karbi Anglong Forest department under the administrative jurisdiction of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council has taken all necessary steps to protect the wild animals who have crossed the national highway and scaled the northern Karbi Anglong hill range,� said Dr Abhijit Rabha, Special Chief Conservator of Forests, after Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during his recent visit to the flood-hit Kaziranga National Park, had directed the district administration to take all necessary measures in this regard.
Speaking to this correspondent, Dr Rabha said that many animals have crossed over to the hills of Karbi Anglong district during the second wave of flood, which has inundated 95 per cent area of the national park.
�As a standard operating procedure, the Karbi Anglong Forest department under the administrative jurisdiction of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council has taken all necessary steps to protect the wild animals who have crossed the national highway and scaled the Northern Karbi Anglong hill range dominated by Dolamara and Parkup Pahar ranges under the control of East Division Forest of Karbi Anglong autonomous district.
�The encouraging aspect is that the local residents are helping us a lot in driving back the stray rhinos and elephants to the plateau behind the Bagori range. Officers, armed forest guards and a substantial number of armed home guards have been pressed into service to keep strict vigilance on the migrating animals.
�Actually in anticipation of the floods, we had prepared our forces earlier not just to keep vigil within our areas, but to cooperate with our counterparts to cover a number of parts extended across the national highway on the fringes of the park. Certain areas between the hills and the national highway have been flooded and the animals are crossing the area perilously. No causality of wildlife or our staff has taken place till now, but we are all set to protect wildlife of Kaziranga�. Dr Rabha said.
Earlier, Sonowal had surveyed the inundated areas of Kaziranga National Park in a speed boat cutting through the upstream of Mora Difalu River from the foothills of Bagori Range of the Park to perceive the situation of the marooned animals and the action taken by the park authority to ensure their defence.
During his hour-long visit to the flood-hit areas of the park, the Chief Minister observed the animals taking shelter at the highlands built by the Forest department in the flood-prone areas of the park. He also visited the flood-affected forest camps at Gorakati, Mora Difalu and Mur Phuloni and exchanged views with the forest guards on keeping vigil against all odds to protect the stranded animals.
