 Elephants Are Seeking Higher Ground
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July 8, 2003 — Floods in northeastern India's Assam state have forced elephants, tigers and other wild animals from the renowned Kaziranga Sanctuary to seek safety on higher ground at nearby farms and highways.
"Over the last few days, at least 150 to 200 elephants have migrated to nearby hills due to the floods in Kaziranga," Kaziranga Sanctuary warden N.V. Vasu told AFP.
On Friday a herd of 64 elephants blocked a highway that crisscrosses the sanctuary, which is on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River, and took a leisurely stroll before disappearing into the thick jungles on the other side, he said.
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"Our forest guards patrolling the highway had blocked traffic on either side of the highway to allow the elephants to cross the road to prevent the animals from being hit by speeding vehicles," the warden said.
At another spot a majestic tiger blocked another portion of the highway for 15 minutes.
"The tiger was relaxing on the highway and it was indeed a treat for people who stopped their vehicles before the big cat vanished into the thick undergrowth," a roadside hotelier said.
"Animals like wild boars and deer have been straying into human settlements in the fringe areas of the park with the floodwaters increasing day-by-day," he said.
The Brahmaputra was swollen by heavy monsoon rains that have been falling since last month and has flooded into Kaziranga, which houses the world's largest population of one-horned rhinos and a large group of Asian elephants.
The floods have claimed the lives of a rhino and a buffalo, according to Kaziranga authorities, while two hog deer and a python were killed by speeding vehicles as they were trying to cross the highway to escape the rising waters.
"We have imposed prohibitory orders asking truckers to drive slowly as they pass the highway that runs along the park," Vasu said.
At least 70 animals, including rhinos and wild buffaloes, were drowned in floods inside the sanctuary last year, while speeding vehicles mowed down 32 animals on the highway.
The migration of the animals has sometimes brought them into conflict with villagers, who try to chase them away with noisy firecrackers, fire and loud drums, residents of the area said.
At a tea garden in Karbi Anglong Hills, close to the sanctuary, a group of elephants was found enjoying home-brewed rice beer straight out of casks.
"We now fear that the Kaziranga elephants would make it a habit to enter our colony as they have got the taste of rice beer," said a worker at the tea garden, Madhu Ram.
"It was a sight to be seen to find the four elephants enjoying the drink. The elephants sipped to its last drop before smashing the earthen cask in which the beer was brewed," Ram said.
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Name: Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
Primary Classification: Proboscidea (Elephants) Location: India and Southeast Asia. Habitat: Mainly tropical scrub forest. Also thick jungle and savannah. Diet: Mainly grasses. Also bark, roots, leaves, fruits and stems of trees, vines and shrubs. Size: Up to 21 feet in length, 10 feet in height and 5.5 tons in weight. Description: Grayish to brown in color. Sparse, coarse body hair. Thick, dry skin. Long trunk with single finger-like projection. Two bumps on forehead. Columnar legs. Large, fan-like ears. Males have two long, ivory tusks. Cool Facts: They can consume more than 500 pounds of vegetation per day. They urinate 1.5 gallons at a time and up to 15 gallons a day. They use their trunks — which contain up to 100,000 muscles — to suck and spray water, to lift heavy objects, to grasp small objects, to smell, and to detect heat and texture. Conservation Status: Endangered Major Threats: Habitat loss and degradation, as well as poaching. What Can I Do?: Visit the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Elephant Help Project, and Friends of the Asian Elephant for information on how you can help. |
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