Kaziranga hog deers mowed down by highway vehicles while fleeing from flood, speed norms flouted

Assam forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya inspecting the flood situation in Kaziranga National Park on Wednesday. Photo credit: Kaziranga National Park

At least seven hog deer, a Schedule I protected wildlife species have been killed and another injured so far by vehicles on the stretch of the NH-37, while they were rushing to highlands in order to avoid flood in Kaziranga National Park.

During floods, animals are often seen crossing the highway that passes through the national park for shelters on the hills of neighbouring Karbi Anglong district.

The flood bulletin issued by the Kaziranga National Park authorities said 662 vehicles have been found flouting the 40-km per hour speed limit since June 28, while taking the stretch of the highway that connects upper Assam with rest of the country. Seven vehicles have been fined so far for flouting the speed limit. The speed limit is imposed during a flood to check the death of animals on the highway stretch.

Nearly 70% of the 434 square kilometer national park, the world's biggest habitat of one-horned rhinos remained under flood water on Wednesday, which affected nearly 15 lakh people in 21 districts. Six people drowned in a flood in Barpeta, Dhubri, Nagaon and Nalbari district on Wednesday taking the death toll in this year's floods to 33 so far.

The bulletin said the flood had inundated 107 of total 223 forest camps inside the park forcing the forest guards to vacate six of them.

One swamp deer and one wild boar drowned in the flood while forest personnel rescued 27 other animals so far.

A total of 198 animals including rhinos drowned in flood in Kaziranga last year while 17 animals (mostly deers) were killed by vehicles plying on the highway.

As animals rush to highlands during floods, poachers take advantage of the situation.

Director of Kaziranga, P Sivakumar said two persons were arrested on Wednesday under Behali police station in Biswanath district for poaching Indian hog deer. "The accused Biswajit Baruah and Akaman Lora Borah were caught while cooking meat of Indian hog deer at their farm land near a river. Three pieces of fresh skin of Indian hog deer were also recovered from them," he said.

With 2,413 rhinos (2018 census), Kaziranga is the home to the world's largest number of one-horned rhinos, besides Royal Bengal tigers, wild buffalo and other animals. But the rhinos in Kaziranga, a UNESCO world heritage site and a tourist attraction has been a target of poachers, who kill them and sell the horns to the international gang of smugglers.