According to the latest information from the Ministry of Environmentand Forests in India, two more rhinos have died at the Kaziranga National Park
due to the recurring floods, since the ministry assessed the animal death toll last
month. Earlier the ministry has issued an official assessment on the flood
situation of the protected area, reporting that the Rhino death toll in Kaziranga
was at 17. Now it has reached 19, says an official replay from the ministry.
 |
| An Indian one horned rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis |
The new revelation came out when Minister for Environment and
Forests, Jaynati Natarajan tabled a written reply to the Rajya Sabha as an
answer to a question on the flood situation of Kaziranga National Park. According
to the reply, the total animal death toll in the park has now reached 631. In
last month, a MoEF press release had informed that the animal death toll at the
park due to floods was 595.
The tabled replay has also informed the House that the excess
water has swept away infrastructure inside the park area like roads, artificial
grounds and anti-poaching facilities.
The latest estimate of the animal deaths due to floods in Kaziranga
Sl. No.
|
Species
|
Total
|
1.
|
Rhino
|
19
|
2.
|
Elephant
|
1
|
3.
|
Swamp deer
|
11
|
4.
|
Buffallo
|
4
|
5.
|
Hog deer
|
529
|
6.
|
Sambar
|
22
|
7.
|
Wild boar
|
34
|
8.
|
Porcupine
|
5
|
9.
|
Hog badger
|
3
|
10.
|
Python
|
2
|
11.
|
Fox
|
1
|
TOTAL
|
631
|
Floods part of Kaziranga ecosystem
As per MoEF documents, the floods are a normal part of the
ecosystem of Kaziranga National Park. “Being located in the Brahmaputra Flood
Plains, the reserve is prone to annual floods. However, the normal
flood inundation is inherent and important aspect of the Kaziranga ecosystem to
maintain the large number of water bodies (around 175) and the floral/faunal
biodiversity of the area”, says an earlier official document on the flood
situation of the national park.
 |
| A Map of Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons |
Environment Minister Jayanti Natarajan has reiterated this
stand again in the latest reports. According to the replay, she said that flood
is a natural and recurring phenomenon in Kaziranga and it creates a variety of
habitats for different species.
However, this year, the floods were stronger. According to the
latest reply from MoEF, similar floods have inundated Kaziranga in 1988 and
1998. The floods claimed 1203 and 652 animal lives in both the years
respectively.
Rhino is an endangered species and need to protect them. Flood is common in Kaziranga these period of time and Rhino knows how to deal with the flood situation. But due to human interference and poaching Rhino's are in danger. We should have to take firm steps to deal with the situation to rescue the animals from flood. Also it is very important to take action against the illegal poaching. Take a glance over this article for more on this at indiahistoricalplaces.com
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