GUWAHATI: Seventeen animals have died so far due to drowning while 72 others have been rescued from floodwaters inside the famed Kaziranga National Park, an official said on Thursday.
The animal mortality includes 11 hog deer that drowned in the park, with an additional five dying during treatment. Forest officials have rescued 63 hog deer, two otters, two sambar deer, two scops owls, one rhino calf, one Indian hare, and one jungle cat.
Currently, 26 animals are under treatment, while 29 others have been released after recovery, the official added.
As of Wednesday, 11 animals had died due to drowning, and 65 others had been rescued from floodwaters in the Kaziranga National Park.
Out of the total 233 camps in the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, 141 are still inundated, down from 173 on Wednesday, according to the official. In the Eastern or Agoratoli range, 21 of the 34 camps have been inundated, while 38 of the 58 camps in the central range, 33 of the 39 in the Western or Bagori range, 10 of the 25 in Burapahar, and three of the nine in Bokakhat are under floodwaters.
Altogether, nine camps have been vacated by forest personnel, including two each in Agoratoli and the central range, three in Bokakhat, and one each in the Biswanath and Nagaon wildlife divisions.
Forest department employees, including security personnel, stay in camps inside the national park to conduct patrols 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 limit speeds to between 20 and 40 km/h are in force.