Let’s help wild animals affected by the Kaziranga floods

Fortunately, there are many ways wild animals can be helped, including rescues carried out by institutions or individuals, vaccination programs, artificial shelters, wild animal hospitals and orphanages.

All hope is not lost

As we have seen, a great number of animals undergo a lot of distress due to floods every year, and this number is expected to dramatically increase in the following decades, which makes it a highly pressing issue to address. Fortunately, there are many ways wild animals can be helped, including rescues carried out by institutions or individuals, vaccination programs, artificial shelters, wild animal hospitals and orphanages. While the primary recipients of aid provided are mainly for the flood-affected humans (or the animals they use as resources), there are also multiple initiatives by some wild animal organizations and forest authorities that try to rescue and rehabilitate as many wild animals as they can. While the animals that are mainly helped are the ones that are considered valuable based on conservationist interests, the existing research and rescue infrastructure presents a promising opportunity to improve the wellbeing of other animals affected by disasters. Let us look at some of the measures that can be implemented to improve the assistance to wild animals during or post floods:

• Construction of improved artificial highlands to offer temporary relief to animals: The government of Assam and the Forest department have constructed Artificial Elevated Highlands to supplement the 20km natural highlands in offering refuge to the animals trying to escape from the flood waters during the annual floods [6]. Artificial highlands are elevated lands structures constructed that mimic the natural highlands to offer a refuge to animals who are tired from swimming. Although this intervention has raised concerns among many conservationists about the ecological effects of such structures, they have been observed to have highly benefited the escaping animals. However, more research needs to be done regarding their long-term effects.
• Including wild animal protection during disasters into national and state policies: India is one of the first countries to integrate animals into its national disaster management plans, working closely with animal protection organizations. Such plans are central to protecting animals on a large scale.
• The National Policy on Disaster Management of India has a section dedicated to animal care in Chapter 7-Response: “Animals both domestic and wild are exposed to the effects of natural and man-made disasters. It is necessary to devise appropriate measures to protect animals and find means to shelter and feed them during disasters and their aftermath, through a community effort, to the extent possible”. This needs to be combined with strict enforcement on the local and national levels. Animals are included in India’s national disaster management plan, however not all state, district, and village level plans include animal protection provisions. Also, there needs to be community level planning along with villagers and different stakeholders to ensure that there is preparedness and knowledge shared regarding handling of wild animals and ensuring safe passage to the animals during their migration away from the flood water.
• Clearing and protecting the wildlife corridors from commercial activity: The growth of commercial establishments and illegal mining and quarrying along the corridors has seriously disturbed the ability of animals to escape from floods. These corridors are vital pathways that help animals escape the flooded park region into the surrounding hills. While there have been recent orders passed by the Courts to clear these establishments, this has caused a conflict between the residents of these areas and the authorities. It is imperative to find effective ways to relocate these residents to secure a safer pathway for the animals.
• Vaccinating surrounding animals on farms: It is also important to vaccinate domesticated animals adjoining the park against diseases that can be transmitted to wild animals while they are escaping the flood waters. There is an urgent need to train and build capacity for more veterinary staff to be able to treat and manage the huge number of animals. Organizations like World Animal Protection, Wildlife Conservation Trust and Corbett Foundation India have supported the national park by donating equipment to the dispensaries, providing support during immunization drives, and constructing elevated grounds to store fodder for animals on farms during floods.[7]
• Investing in better animal rescue and rehabilitation capabilities: Given the large number of affected animals and worsening floods, there is a gaping need for better and improved technologies such as transportation including speed boats and aircrafts to facilitate better treatment of animals, monitoring devices such as camera traps, drones, and quadcopters to identify crucial locations to build animal shelters and find routes for rescue and relief operations during the disaster.

These are just some of the ways these animals can be helped. These measures combined with the recent advancements in technology such as the use of artificial intelligence and deep learning provide a valuable opportunity to invent innovative ways to improve the lives of wild animals in the Kaziranga National park. Since there is very little research done to understand the impact of floods on the welfare of animals in the wild, it is important to address the gaps in current research and advocacy efforts to facilitate better understanding and pursuit of more work in helping wild animals during floods.

It is also key to promote concern for wild animals and research about the situation they are in from the perspective of their wellbeing and suffering.