Floodings

Russia floods...These two were lucky...

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Ich erwähnte bereits kurz die Überschwemmungen in Minnesota, bei denen 144 Tiere im Lake Superior Zoo ums Leben kamen und die dazu führten, dass Eisbärin Berlin nach einem kurzen abenteuerlichen Auftritt in Freiheit, nachdem auch ihr Gehege überschwemmt wurde, in den Como Zoo umziehen musste. Es war nicht der einzige Zwischenfall dieser Art, wer die Nachrichten der letzten Wochen und Tage verfolgt hat, weiß, dass auch der Auckland Zoo mit Überschwemmungen zu kämpfen hatte. Am gravierendsten waren sicherlich die Regenfälle in der Assam Region von Indien, bei denen mehr als 100 Menschen ums Leben kamen sowie 538 Tiere im Kaziranga National Park.  Welche Folgen die Wassermassen in Russland und Japan auch für die Tierwelt hatte, wird wohl erst zu seinem wesentlich späteren Zeitpunkt erfahrbar sein.-

I mentioned already briefly the floods in Minnesota which left 14 animals dead in Minnesota's zoo in Duluth about two weeks ago, causing polar bear Berlin to move to Como Zoo after the staff was able to dart her after her adventurous escape of her inundated enclosure.It was not the only event of this kind, the Auckland Zoo too had to fight inundation.Watching the news from southern Russia and now Japan, it becomes obvious that once again floods will cause more disaster to humans and animals this season. The most disastrous news have come so far from northern India where rain has caused severe damage and death among humans and animals.

Im Kaziranga National Park starben bei dem Hochwasser im Juni 538 Tiere, darunter 13 Nashörner. 

"Altogether 538 animals, including 13 rhinos, of the Kaziranga National Park, have been killed in the devastating Assam floods and the death toll is mounting with the KNP authorities of this World Heritage Site recovering more floating carcasses everyday.

The floods have also damaged roads and other infrastructure in the park, which is famous for the one-horned rhino. Even amidst the floods, two rhinos were killed by poachers. The floods have claimed 100 human lives, while 16 others died due to landslip in the State. Of these, 56 are children. Of the 31 lives lost in Barpeta district, 21 were children.

KNP Director Sanjib Kumar Bora told The Hindu that till Thursday afternoon carcasses of 463 hog deer, 13 rhinos, 16 Sambar, 10 swamp deer, 28 wild boars, 5 porcupines, one wild buffalo and two hog badgers had been recovered.

He said the death toll was likely to increase as more carcasses were recovered with the water level receding. About 20 of these hog deer were fatally hit by vehicles as the animals crossed National Highway 37, which passes through the park, to reach higher ground on the southern part.

So far, 126 hog deer have been rescued and 94 of these released in the wild after treatment at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), located in the park. Two rhino calves and two elephant caves rescued from floodwaters are being treated at the centre. CWRC volunteers rescued four barking deer, three of which have been released in the wild after treatment.

The park director said locals and NGOs also helped in the rescuing the marooned animals and taking them to the CWRC.

Mr. Bora said floodwaters disrupted motorable communication, what with damage to roads, bridges and approaches to bridges.

“The tourism season this time might be delayed as huge funds and time would be required to reconstruct and repair the infrastructure.” Frontline staff manning 16 of the total 152 anti-poaching camps had to be shifted due to flooding, while four old camps had been fully damaged.

“The actual damage is still being assessed,” he said.

The flood waters entered the park area on June 26 and by midnight on June 28, the flow peaked submerging 80 per cent of its area, and only the natural and artificial highlands inside were spared. The migration of herds of hog deer and elephants and some rhinos had been noticed by the park authorities since June 22.

Consequently, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr.PC were promulgated along NH 37 and time cards introduced restricting speed limit to 40 km/hour to protect the migrating animals. Now “the water level has receded in most parts but some areas are still submerged,” said Mr. Bora."

 Elephant at Kaziranga National Park

Die Geschichte des Kaziranga National Park in den Golaghat und Nagaon Bezirken des Bundesstaates Assam, Indien, lassen sich bis zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts im Jahr 1904 zurückverfolgen.Es ist jetzt Weltkulturerbe und beherbergt zwei Drittel der weltweit Großen Einhorn- Nashörner, Tiger und viele andere bedrohte Tierarten.

Schwere Verluste durch Hochwasser gab es mehr als einmal. So z.B. die Überschwemmungen von 1973, bei denen mehrere Tiere getötet wurden. Im Jahr 1988 tauchte eine verheerende Flut den Park zu 70% unter Wasser und tötete 38 Nashörner, darunter 23 Kälber, 1050 Hirsche, 69 Wildschweine, drei Baby-Elefanten, zwei Tiger, und zahlreiche kleinere Spezies.Im Jahr 1996 kamen 44 Nashörner durch Überschwemmungen ums Leben. Im Jahr 1998 wurde aufgrund außergewöhnlich starker Regenfälle der Brahmaputra River überflutet und Teile des Parks standen 6 Meter unter Wasser. Mehr als ein Quadratkilometer großes Gebiet wurde weggespült; schätzungsweise 652 Tiere, darunter 42 Nashörner, gingen verloren. Während dieser Zeit stellte WWF-Indien materielle Unterstützung zur Verfügung und die indischen Armee baute für die Tierwelt zehn Inseln auf höher gelegenem Grund.-

The history of Kaziranga National Park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India, can be traced back to the beginning of the twentieth century, in 1904. It now is a World Heritage Site and hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses, tigers, and many other endangered animals.

Severe losses to the number of wildlife occurred during floods, events worth mention include the floods of 1973 in which several animals were killed. In 1988 a devastating flood ravaged the park in which 70% of the park was submerged under water killing 38 rhinoceros, including 23 calves, 1,050 deer, 69 wild boar, three baby elephants, two tigers, and numerous smaller species. In 1996 44 rhinoceros were killed by floods. In 1998 due to exceptionally heavy rainfall the Brahmaputra River flooded and parts of the park were under 6 metres of water. More than a square kilometre area of the floodplain was washed away; an estimated 652 animals, including 42 rhinoceroses, were lost. During that time WWF-India provided material assistance and the Indian Army constructed ten islands on high ground for wildlife.

Sources & related:

- Assam flood: Over 500 animals dead in Kaziranga/ ndtv 07.07.2012

- 13 rhinos dead as floods ravage Kaziranga/The Hindu 06.07.2012 

- History of Kaziranga National Park on wikipedia (engl.)
- Investigators:Escape at Duluth Zoo/my fox 9 20.07.2012