Six wild water buffaloes were found dead in Kaziranga National Park’s Kohora range on Wednesday evening, with authorities suspecting a lightning strike as the cause.
The incident occurred in the Mona Beel area, where forest patrol staff discovered the carcasses near Mona Tongi camp. Park Director Sonali Ghosh confirmed that a routine patrol spotted the bodies of four female and two male buffaloes lying together in shallow waters.
“The unusual clustering and physical condition of the carcasses suggest a high probability of death due to a lightning strike,” Ghosh said. She added that a special inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the matter thoroughly.
A team of veterinarians, forest officers, and wildlife researchers reached the site on Thursday morning to conduct post-mortems and collect forensic samples. Preliminary observations from the spot, as well as the initial autopsy reports, have pointed towards lightning-induced fatalities, though a final confirmation is pending.
Photographs released by the park authorities show forest personnel conducting examinations amid waterlogged areas, indicating the serious approach being taken towards the investigation.
Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is not only known for its population of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros but also shelters a significant number of wild water buffaloes, a species marked as endangered by the IUCN.
Park authorities have expressed concern over the rising incidents of extreme weather patterns in Assam, noting that such events are becoming a growing threat to wildlife. The forest department has also begun consultations with meteorological experts to better understand lightning activity patterns and explore preventive measures.
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