Severe monsoon floods in India's northeastern Assam state have resulted in widespread devastation, affecting over 1.8 million people across 3,000 villages and claiming at least 72 lives since mid-May, according to Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The floods have had a devastating impact on wildlife, with six endangered one-horned rhinos and other animals like deer drowning in the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that houses two-thirds of the world's remaining one-horned rhino population (2,413 in total).
While water levels of the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries have now receded below danger levels in most areas, the floods have caused significant damage and loss of life.
Experts attribute the increased intensity of monsoon rains and flooding in recent years to climate change, although the annual flooding in Kaziranga National Park plays a role in maintaining the ecological balance of the park by replenishing water supplies.
Sarma personally shared a video of a stranded rhino calf in Kaziranga that prompted immediate rescue efforts.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Asharq Al-Awsat, VnExpress, Gulf News, FOX 28 Spokane, BSS News, County Center Dispatch.