Bengal floods: Parts of Jaldapara, Buxa under water

KOLKATA: More than 20% of north Bengal’s Jaldapara National Park, which is home to about 230 one-horned rhinos, is under water due to floods triggered by heavy rainfall in the region on August 9, 10 and 11. Late on Sunday afternoon, the officials while scanning the forest recovered the carcass of a leopard as the flood waters receded. “We suspect the animal drowned in flood water.The carcass was found near Kodalbasti watch tower,” said a forester.
Officials also said more than 10% of Buxa Tiger Reserve is submerged. Chief wildlife warden Ravi Kant Sinha said: “While the flood has hit about 50 square kilomteres in Jaldapara, almost 100 square kilometres in the eastern part of Buxa too is flooded since river Sankosh is flowing above the danger level.” He added, “So far, there’s no report of wild animals be it rhino, Indian gaur, leopard or elephant, sneaking into human habitat.”
In Jaldapara, Torsha river and its tributaries Chirakhaoa, Holong and Buritorsha are flowing above the danger mark. State wildlife advisory board member Animesh Bose said the bridge to Moyradanga beat inside the park was washed away. “But the intensity of rainfall has decreased from Sunday, so we hope there won’t be much impact on wildlife,” he added.
Sinha said earlier more than 100 forest staff, who live in camps inside Buxa and Jaldapara, were shifted out on boats and department elephants. According to him, several staff camps inside these parks have been damaged.
Conservationist Biswapriya Rahut said the rainfall the region has received in the last three-four days is unlikely to impact elephants.
“Other mammals in Buxa will move towards the upper terrains. They can sense things earlier than us, so they start leaving the vulnerable areas early. The same happens during floods in Kaziranga where animals start moving towards the hilly terrains of Burapahar,” he said. Floods in Assam’s Kaziranga have brought to light how rhinos become vulnerable as they try to venture out of the park. “When they come out of the park to escape flood waters, they are targeted by poachers. Poaching cases have been reported from Gorumara and Jaldapara in the recent years too,” said a source.
(Inputs from Subhro Niyogi)