The dry Brahmaputra river bed before the monsoon floods come.

The coming of the monsoons in India is associated with good news, particularly with regards to the wildlife after long and difficult dry seasons. However, that is not always the case, and Assam is an example.

Every monsoon the Brahmaputra River, which runs through the Kaziranga National Park, bursts its banks flooding the local area. The results in many animals being swept away or being forced to retreat to higher ground. This park is home to the Indian rhino, as well as many tigers. I went to Kaziranga back in 2014, for more information on the park, check out the story I posted yesterday!

Teams of people monitor the situation in order to prevent loss of the wildlife and conflicts. "With the threat of floods looming large, the IFAW-WTI team based out of  the Wildlife Rescue Center in the outskirts of Kaziranga National Park monitored the areas day and night until the water level reduced." Taken from an IFAW post by Subhamoy Bhattacharjee

The vast movement of the Kaziranga residents results in a large number of human conflicts as they stray into nearby villages. In order to reduce the possible dangerous to the animals and the humans alike, teams are going into local villages to educate the locals on the correct protocols.

"In the past, interactions with villagers, followed by Do’s and Don’t's distributed on handouts were the norm preceding the annual floods. This year’s pre-flood awareness activities are more area specific and subjective, specifically targeting vulnerable localities where animals often cross over to high ground and villages believed to house poachers." Taken from an IFAW post by Subhamoy Bhattacharjee

In this brief video montage, IFAW-WTI teams conduct awareness campaigns ahead of flooding in the Northeast Indian state of Assam. Every year hundreds of animals including deer, rhinos, elephants and others are swept away by the waters of the mighty Brahmaputra River during monsoon season. Preparedness campaigns save lives.

For more reading, please check out this IFAW article.