Assam floods: 17 animals drown, 72 rescued in Kaziranga National Park

Guwahati, Jul 4 (PTI) Seventeen animals have died so far due to drowning while 72 others rescued from flood waters inside the famed Kaziranga National Park, an official said on Thursday.

The animal mortality includes 11 hog deer due to drowning in the park and five during treatment.

The forest officials rescued 63 hog deer, two each of otter, sambar and a scop owl and one each of a rhino calf, Indian hare and a jungle cat.

Currently, 26 animals are under treatment while 29 others have been released after treatment, the official said.

Eleven animals had died due to drowning while 65 others had been rescued from flood waters in the Kaziranga National Park till Wednesday.

Out of the total 233 camps in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, 141 are still inundated so far as against the 173 on Wednesday, the official said.

In the Eastern or Agoratoli range 21 of the 34 camps have been inundated while 38 of the 58 camps in central range, 33 out of the 39 in Western or Bagori range, 10 out of the 25 in Burapahar and three out of the nine in Bokakhat are under flood waters.

Altogether nine camps have been vacated by forest personnel so far with two each in Agoratoli and central range, three in Bokakhat, and one each in Biswanath and Nagaon wildlife divisions.

Forest department employees including security personnel stay in camps inside the national park to conduct patrolling for the protection of flora and fauna.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to restrict the movement of vehicular traffic on NH-37 (New NH-715) and its speed to between 20 to 40 km/hour is in force. PTI