The Nepal Weekly 
July 9, 2024
More than 130 wild animals, including six endangered species rhinos, have died in flooding at a national park in north-eastern India, according to officials. The Kaziranga National Park in Assam is experiencing its worst deluge in recent years.
The dead animals – many of whom died by drowning – include 117 hog deer, two sambar deer, a rhesus macaque and an otter.
In 2017, more than 350 animals were killed by floods in the park and vehicle collisions during migration through animal corridors to the highlands.
Officials say they have so far rescued 97 animals from flood waters – 25 of them are receiving medical care while 52 others have been released after treatment.
Kaziranga is home to the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinos, which were nearly extinct at the turn of the century. The UNESCO World Heritage site is home to over 2,400 one-horned rhinos.
The park is also a tiger reserve and home to elephants, wild water buffalo and numerous bird species. The endangered South Asian dolphins are also found in the rivers that criss-cross the park. Last week, an 18-month-old rhino calf took shelter at a house in a village near the park and was rescued by the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, the Press Trust of India reported.
