Rhino, bison, leopards found dead in flood waters, forest department reunites baby elephant with mother

According to the state forest department, confirmed fatalities so far include one rhino, two leopards, three bison and four sambar deer found in forest areas across the region.

“I have rushed here and presently I am in Jaldapara National Park. It is unfortunate that some wild animals have died. Forest officials are now surveying the jungle. It is difficult to reach core areas but they are trying their best,” said Birbaha Hansda, the state forest minister, speaking to The Indian Express over phone from Jaldapara.

Forest officials said the dead leopards were recovered from Jaldapara and Kalimpong, while the rhino, bison and sambar carcasses were found in Gorumara and Jaldapara. In a separate development, teams reported that six rhinos were swept away by fast-flowing water on Sunday; one was found dead in the Gorumara forest, while others were rescued after they were carried close to villages.

According to the state forest department, confirmed fatalities so far include one rhino, two leopards, three bison and four sambar deer found in forest areas across the region

In a dramatic rescue on Sunday, forest officials pulled a four-day-old elephant calf and a three-year-old calf from the Mechi river after the animals became trapped while the herd crossed from Nepal into Bengal’s Kurseong area. Officials said the rescue took about five hours; both calves were later reunited with their herd in the Kurseong forest division.

“Our main concern is rhinos, which tend to live near riverbeds and are more prone to being washed away,” Hansda added. “A number of bridges and other forest infrastructure have been damaged. Our primary aim is to locate animals and rescue any that are stranded.”

Officials said the floods affected parts of Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jaldapara National Park and Gorumara National Park. Jaldapara covers about 141 square kilometres and Gorumara around 82 square kilometres; both are important habitats for the one-horned Indian rhino.

Rivers including the Torsa, Jaldhaka and Kalchini rose well above danger levels after heavy rainfall in the hills, sweeping away approach roads, wooden bridges and patrol paths that forest staff depend on for access to core areas.

With forest teams stretched and several beats still unreachable, authorities have put affected reserves on high alert and suspended visitor entry in vulnerable sectors. Tourists who were stranded near park lodges on Sunday were evacuated with the help of trained elephants and forest personnel, officials said.

District administrations in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar are coordinating with the forest department and disaster-response teams to monitor waterways and assist with rescue and recovery work.

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