Royal couple William & Kate express dismay over floods in Kaziranga National Park

Guwahati: Prince William of England and his wife Princess Catherine have become the latest international personalities of note to express their dismay at the devastation caused by the floods in Assam.

William, writing to the Director of the Kaziranga National Park, stated that he and Catherine (popularly known as simply 'Kate') were "heartbroken" to hear about the appalling devastation of the Kaziranga National Park and its precious wildlife caused by the heavy monsoon flooding.

"We have the happiest memories of our visit to Kaziranga in April 2016 and are shocked by what happened. The deaths of so many animals, including one-horned rhino, is deeply upsetting. We know from our visit how caring the staff of Kaziranga are in caring for the Park's wildlife, and can't only begin to imagine what a difficult time this must be. Catherine and I greatly admire all the work that you and the rangers at Kaziranga are doing to risk your own safety, rescue animals, and contain the damage", wrote William.

He further added that the "loss of lives and livelihoods in Assam as a result of the flooding, on top of the COVID-19 pandemic, is "deeply distressing." "We offer our deepest condolences to all those affected", the British royal further added.

It may be recalled that the couple visited the wilds of Kaziranga way back in 2016 amid much fanfare. After a night of traditional music and dance, the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge, headed out in a jeep into the wilds of remote northeast India for a wildlife safari to see rhinos, elephants, and more. Notably, they wore the traditional Assamese scarf, gamusa, becoming an instant hit among the locals. Their much-publicized visit was well documented by both national and international media.

Now, the situation has turned grim one the wilds where fun and frolic once prevailed. Torrential rains and swelling rivers have gobbled up the park, almost in its entirety, and several animals have perished in the deluge. Across Assam, the situation has continued to worsen with rains unrelentingly continuing to batter the state.

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