Assam: Kaziranga National Park using infrared sensor drone to ensure safety of fraying animals

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: As a first of its kind, the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) has introduced am infrared-sensor drone to ensure that the animals frayed away from the flood-ravaged national park do not fall prey to poachers. 

An infrared sensor drone has additional tasks like wildlife tracking and thermal imaging. 

This wave of floods has submerged around 70 percent of the area of the national park, making wildlife take shelter near the national highway or go towards the Karbi Hills.

Speaking to The Sentinel, KNP Director Sonali Ghosh said, “With its night vision facility, this drone can make us get the vision of animals in poacher-prone areas at night. As and when we see any unusual movement, we can alert our guards for prompt action. So far, so good; no animal has fallen prey to any poacher as of now.”

According to sources, the paucity of frontline staff in the KNP has caused the park authorities to deploy around 100 guards from the district surrounding the national park. The restriction on vehicle movement on the national highway passing through the national park is strict.

Until this morning, 233 forest camps, including 71 inundated ones, were in place in the national park. Four camps had to be vacated due to floods. The Agratoli Range has 34 camps, and flood waters have inundated 15 of them. The Kaziranga range has 58 camps, and flood waters have submerged 23 of them. The flood waters have inundated 19 of 39 camps in the Bagori Range, four of 25 camps in the Bura Pahar Range, four of nine in the Bokakhat Range, three of 30 camps in the Biswanath Wildlife Division, and three of 38 camps in the Nagaon Wildlife Division.

With the death of three more rhinos today, a total of 159 animals have lost their lives during this wave of floods, mostly due to drowning. As many as 128 hog deer died by drowning, 22 died while under care, and two died when hit by vehicles. Nine rhinos, including three calves, died due to drowning, and so did two sambars. 

According to sources, some animals entered villages and some others went uphill in the Karbi Hills, and they are more prone to poachers. The authorities have intensified vigil for animals going to the Karbi Hills.

According to official sources, another threat to the KNP animals is the choking of water bodies by water hyacinth that traps animals. KNP personnel keep removing water hyacinth from water bodies.

Also Read: Assam Floods: 123 hog deer drown in Kaziranga National Park (sentinelassam.com)

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