The famed Kaziranga National Park in Assam has lost 559 animals, including 14 rhinos, in the floods this year. Park authorities said their numbers could rise as carcasses are still being found every day.
“With receding water levels in the park, our officials found carcasses. The toll is likely to rise,” said park director Sanjiv Kumar Bora.
Brahmaputra waters entered the park on June 26. Almost 80% area of the world heritage site was under water for about five days. Many animals escaped to the nearby Karbi Anglong hills but some got drowned.
Carcasses of 14 rhinos, 475 hog deer, 30 wild boars, five porcupines, a wild buffalo, an elephant, two hog badgers, 10 swamp deer, two pythons, 18 sambars and a fox were found along with other animals.
This besides, two rhinos were killed by poachers. The hunters, taking advantage of the floods, killed the pachyderms at Haldhibari and Karbi hills and chopped off their horns.
Seventy animals, including two rhino calves and as many elephant calves, were rescued by forest officials.
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