On Monday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared a touching video of a stranded rhino calf in Kaziranga National Park. The park has been severely affected by devastating floods for several weeks.
Video of the Stranded Calf
Recently, while passing through Kaziranga, I noticed this stranded rhino calf and instructed its immediate rescue.
The #AssamFloods have affected humans and animals alike and Team Assam is working round the clock to aid everyone. pic.twitter.com/gljiVaGzhJ
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 8, 2024
In the video posted on the social media platform ‘X’, Sarma showed the rhino calf standing in the flooded park.
“Recently, while passing through Kaziranga, I noticed this stranded rhino calf and instructed its immediate rescue. The #AssamFloods have affected humans and animals alike, and Team Assam is working round the clock to aid everyone,” Sarma wrote in his post.
Heavy Toll on Wildlife
This year, the floods have had a devastating impact on the national park, with at least 129 wild animals reported dead. As of Saturday, officials confirmed that 114 animals, including six rhinos, 100 hog deer, two sambar, and an otter, had died due to drowning and other causes. Twenty animals died during treatment, while 96 have been successfully rescued.
Worst Flooding in Recent Years
Kaziranga National Park is experiencing the worst flooding in recent years, surpassing the devastation of 2017, which claimed the lives of 350 animals.
Widespread Impact on Assam
This year’s floods have affected about 2.27 million people across 28 districts in Assam, with at least 78 lives lost due to landslides and storms. Nine major rivers, including the Brahmaputra and Barak, are flowing above the danger mark in several places.
Districts Hit Hard
Dhubri is the worst hit with 754,791 affected people, followed by Cachar with 177,928 people affected and Barpeta with 134,328 people affected.
Ongoing Relief Efforts
Multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local administration, are conducting relief and rescue operations. A total of 171 boats have been deployed in different parts of the state to aid in these efforts.
