The rising waters of the river reaching a height if 76.46 metres damaged as many as 152 anti-poaching camps in the Park of which 16 had to be abandoned.

Rescue operations are being undertaken to bring back the animals stranded in various elevated locations including the adjoining Karbi Anglong area.

A two-member team of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) comprising Member Secretary Rajesh Gopal and DIG SP Yadav visited the flood-affected Park on Wednesday to assess the extent of damage and to work out post-flood measures.

“Poachers become active during and immediately after the floods,” said DFO Kaziranga DD Gogoi, adding, “They largely target rhinos that stray into fringe areas for shelter. The Park management has set up 10 additional anti-poaching camps with immediate effect to protect the rhinos that have moved to the fringes of Kaziranga and neighbouring Karbi Anglong.”

Further, about 100 additional guards have been brought from other forest divisions to check the possible poaching of straying animals in the deluge. Patrolling has been further intensified and intelligence wing is also on alert to keep tabs of the movement of poachers.

Gogoi feared that a number of these one-horned rhinos have entered the hill district of Karbi Anglong looking for shelter in the elevated forest land. There is a possibility of more than 100 rhinos escaping to fringe areas like Haldibari, Kanchanjuri and Panbari for safety. The 430 sq. km World Heritage Site has 2,290 rhinos. This is more than half of the world’s total one-horned rhino population.

The Environment Ministry had released a damage assessment report of Kaziranga based on the visit of wildlife biologist and member, NTCA, Firoz Ahmad. It had stressed on the need for relieving the corridor areas from human pressure and avoiding change in land use pattern.

The report had also said that an alternate alignment has been agreed upon for diverting or widening the NH-37, which runs parallel to the southern boundary of the Park. A number of animals get run over by vehicular traffic during the flood season while trying to cross over to the elevated Karbi Anglong sanctuary.

According to the report, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would be approached for providing flyovers at vantage points for traffic. This would prevent road kills, while providing safe passage for wild animals, the Ministry said.

Kaziranga lost a total 595 animals, including 512 hog deer, during the recent floods. Firoz Ahmad however, pointed out that flood is a natural phenomenon for Kaziranga’s ecology. They help in creating grassland and the wetlands dotting the Park help in the survival of carnivores and herbivores. The present deluge largely saw the deaths of old and diseased animals.