Flood water rises in Kaziranga

TigerTime funds vital protection of tigers in Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India. This year the normal monsoon season has seen increased flooding.

According to the Times of India the flood situation in Assam worsened on Sunday with 43 more villages in three districts getting submerged and water rising in Kaziranga National Park where an antelope was killed. About 65,000 people from 170 villages in seven districts have been affected. While two animals were killed crossing the highway to find higher ground there is no report of any human casualty.

To the south of Kaziranga are the Naga Hills where animals in the park migrate to higher ground in the monsoon season. Sadly there is a road running between the two and as flooding increases more animals will make this deadly crossing, some ending in tragedy.

The annual flooding is part and parcel of the natural cycle in the area which helps create the rich alluvial plains that make Kaziranga so special and capable of supporting such a wide variety of flora and fauna. However, the park’s flood management plan is now in operation and the teams on the ground are on stand-by to help rescue any animals that get into difficulty and a campaign to slow traffic on the roads where animals cross out of the park is already underway.

For more on our work in Kaziranga where we protect one of India’s largest tiger populations.