Assam floods: Rhinos move out of sanctuaries and into people's homes

Due to the ongoing crisis severe floods in Assam, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, home to primarily rhinos, was also almost submerged. As a result, rhinos have begun foraging for food near people’s homes in the state.

Nath, a 47-year-old tour guide in the Morigaon district, has recently a unique visitor. A great Indian rhinoceros, weighing anything between 2,200 to 3,000 kilograms, lounges near the pond in Nath’s backyard. The guest has been living with Nath, his two daughters and his elderly parents for over a week now.

The insolent tenant, who has been living there rent-free, managed to destroy Nath’s shed, but even this did not faze him. “I am not scared. I love animals,” Nath told the Indian Express.

The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the southern banks of the Brahmaputra river, which floods every year. This year, the region has been badly affected by the Assam floods, which have impacted over 40 lakh lives.

Pobitora is densely populated with rhinos with at least 102 rhinos being present there, according to The Telegraph. This year, however, over 90 percent of the sanctuary has submerged, as is the grass that these rhinos would normally feed on.

Due to the food supply being affected, the animals have had no choice but to venture out, in search of grass and dry land. Since then, they have been spotted near people’s homes, foraging for grass and vegetation.

“It is a very serious problem. For the first time, we have had to provide them with grass and fodder from outside,” MK Yadava, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam told the Indian Express.

The small sanctuary was hit with three flood waves in July alone. “Usually floods happen in cycles from June until mid-September, waters recede for about two-three weeks before another wave hits the sanctuary. But this time, while one wave has barely receded, another wave hits. This is a rare case,” said Dr Bibhab Talukdar, rhino expert and secretary general of wildlife NGO Aaranyak.

Pobitora’s range office was visited by two such stray rhinos on Friday. Not only did the range officer leave the gates open, for them to enter freely, but also arranged for stacks of cut grass to be kept outside for them.

“It is very common to find rhinos, along with cows, goats — and many times — people, in the same area, all very used to each other,” said Tamuly who had been employed at the sanctuary for a ten years now.