How One Organisation Worked Round the Clock to Rescue Flood Affected Animals in Kaziranga

Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to more than two-thirds of the world’s rhino population. Unfortunately, the devastating floods caused by heavy rains in Assam during July and August had a huge unforeseen impact on the animals living in the national park.

At least 250 animals perished in the floods, including 20 rhinos.

Photo: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee/IFAW-WTI

Kaziranga National Park is bordered by the Brahmaputra river on the north. Whenever the river overflows, the plains get flooded and cause a large-scale displacement of the animals. The animals have no place to seek refuge because the man-made highlands get washed away during heavy flooding. If the animals want to head out of the sanctuary in order to save their lives, they become victims of road accidents due to vehicles that speed past along NH 37.

It is no surprise then that the animals’ lives are in danger every time there is a flood because they are stuck in “human modified environments.”

Photo: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee/IFAW-WTI

However, there are some people working with dedication towards the conservation of animals in Kaziranga. The Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) was established in 2002 by the Wildlife Trust of India in Kaziranga to attend to a range of wildlife-related emergencies. Located in Bojuri village, next to the Kaziranga National Park, CWRC aims to stabilise displaced animals and provide them with expert medical attention. After the treatment, they work on releasing the displaced animals back into the wild, as close to the site from where they were rescued as possible.

Four Mobile Veterinary Services were deployed by the CWRC in July and August to run round-the-clock rescue efforts and provide aid to stranded, displaced or distressed animals in parts of the Park that had been completely inundated by the floods.

Photo: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee/IFAW-WTI

But the large influx of animals being admitted to the nurseries for rehabilitation purposes has led to the shelters overflowing and resources being stretched to their limits.

CWRC needs your help because they are in desperate need of funds to support their animal rescue program. Not only do new shelters have to be built for different types of animals but CWRC also has to budget for medical and food related expenses.

You can help CWRC by donating here!

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