On Monday morning, a sub-adult male tiger came out of the park’s Agratoli range and took shelter in a goat shed in Kandolimari village located on the outskirts of the world’s largest habitat for one-horned rhinos.
“Due to the rise of water and to find a safe escape, a sub-adult tiger has entered inside a goat shed in Kandolimari village, Agratoli. Utmost care is being taken to ensure safety of both people and tiger,” P Sivakumar, director of the national park, informed.
Photos and a video of the tiger taking shelter under the shed as water level rose and covered most of its body soon went viral on social media. Forest officials reached the spot and monitored the situation, allowing the tiger to rest at the spot without disturbing it.
Later in the afternoon, the tiger moved out of the shed and went back towards the Agratoli range of the park.
Every year, as annual floods deluge Kaziranga, many of the park’s wild animals leave the park and head towards the nearby hills in Karbi Anglong district by crossing the National Highway 37 that passes near the park’s boundary.
On Monday, authorities closed a section of the national highway 37 between Kohora and Bagori ranges of Kaziranga national park due to inundation. Vehicles will have to use alternate routes till further notice.
This season, nine animals including wild boar, swamp deer and hog deer have died due to drowning while 11 hog deer were killed after being hit by vehicles. Twelve animals died during treatment.
Thirty five deer were injured due to flood and one by vehicle hit. Carcass of a rhino which died due to natural causes was found last month.
Of the 223 camps used by forest personnel to patrol the park, 166 have been inundated and seven of them have been vacated due to rising water levels.
With 95% of the Kaziranga national park and tiger reserve, spread over 430 sq km, submerged due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall, many animals have been forced to leave the sanctuary and seek shelter in higher locations.
According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the flood situation has worsened further affecting over 21 lakh people in 27 of the state’s 33 districts.
Six more deaths due to drowning were reported on Monday taking the total this season so far to 50. Over 60,000 people uprooted by floods are taking shelter in 480 relief camps.
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