The severe floods in Assam, which have resulted in the killing of over 600 animals including 17 one-horn rhinos in its wildlife sanctuaries, has also seen an escalation of poaching during the last two weeks.
Dr M Firoz Ahmad, wildlife biologist and member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, who has returned after making an on-the-spot survey of the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, the Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary and the Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary admitted that the horns of the one horn rhinos had been removed making this a clear case of poaching.
Many of the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve’s anti-poaching camps are presently under water and have had to be shifted to higher locations.
The ministry of environment and forests said on its website that the number of deaths caused by flooding are over 600. There were 512 Hog deer carcasses, 28 wild boar deaths, 26 sambar and swamp deer deaths, two elephants death, two pythons deaths, five porcupines deaths and 35 buffaloes deaths.
Many animals have been killed by speeding trucks which ply on the National Highway 37, which cuts through the park. Although the local administration has laid down the traffic speed at 10 km per hour, few officials in this flood-hit area are present to implement this norm. Animals need to cross the highway to move to the higher hill district of Karbi Anglong. MoEF officials admit to a spurt of poaching but point out that boats and even elephants have been requisitioned to monitor the movement of the animals. NTCA officials had requested the National Highway Authority of India to divert NH 37 or else provide flyovers at vantage points to prevent road hits but so far little has been done to provide safe passage for wild animals. In 2011, the officers working in these protected forests were given immunity from prosecution if they killed poachers.