Benefits of Flood

How Floods Have Benefited The Kaziranga National Park In Assam

Floods are always assumed to bring destruction with them. But at the Kaziranga National Park they bring more benefits than destruction.

According to the line transect data of April 2012, the animal casualty caused by floods stood at around 1% of the total population. The Hog Deer, whose population is estimated at 40-50 thousand, saw the highest casualty among the wild animals with a count of 512.
512 deaths may seem a lot for some, but even by conservative estimates, more Hog Deer are killed every week by tigers. So the impact of floods on the wildlife species of Kaziranga National Park is in a way amplified. Another important point to note is that many of the victims of floods are infants, old and diseased, who are anyway fighting a losing battle in the war of ‘survival of the fittest’.

Also, not all floods have a penchant for blood, as in certain years there are no casualties; it all depends on the strength and the direction of the flood. Even if the flood is strong, there are many areas inside the park located at higher elevations where the animals can find shelter.

Apart from causing a few heartbreaks, the major role of floods lie in naturally maintaining the grasslands and wetlands of the park, upon which the entire ecosystem of the park stands. The flood water provides the necessary energy and constitutes a natural drainage system thereby paving the way for new vegetation to grow in place of the damaged and uprooted ones. The flood water also makes the soil more fertile so that it can support better and more diverse flora, which in turn helps the wild animals to increase their numbers and diversify.

Although, the floods may seem like a bane, they are actually a boon to the park. Yes, there are casualties, but they are insignificant in the final scheme of things. With greater awareness and participation of the public in relief and rehabilitation of animals, the fear of floods and damage caused by them can be minimized.
But what one should not ignore is that there are far bigger threats to the animals of the park than floods – like inaccessible corridors.

Thus, let us work together to remove these and give the animals the safe environment they deserve.