Tiger makes itself at home to escape Assam floods, pic goes viral

Guwahati: With over 90% of the world-famous Kaziranga National Park getting deluged, several animals are swimming out to higher lands to escape the flood waters. While this has been the norm so far, the picture of a Royal Bengal tiger taking refuge at a house near the protected area in Assam is going viral.

In the image, the big cat is seen making itself at home by lying on a bed inside the house.

Amid all this, a team of the Assam forest department along with members of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) were called in to rescue the wild animal and provide it a safe passage to the forest. While doing so, WTI constantly gave updates on Twitter about the situation as it waited until dark to send the tiger to its ‘home’.

In its first tweet, the Indian nature conservation organisation said that a veterinary team of the agency was in action to tranquilise the Royal Bengal tiger that was seen relaxing in a bed inside a house alongside the National Highway-37.

While giving constant updates, the WTI even tried to give its followers a comic relief by saying that there may have been a ‘Billion Choices’ [referring to a polybag kept nearby] but the tiger “chooses bed n breakfast to escape #AssamFloods”.

Finally, the the tiger sought its way out of the house. In order to facilitate a safe passage to the animal, the team blocked a stretch of NH-37 and clear the area for the purpose. Eventually, they succeeded in their efforts. The animal made its way to the forest.

As the entire national park is submerged under flood water, a total of 17 animal deaths have been reported from the protected area and its vicinity. Many of them were hit by vehicles while crossing the national highway in search of high lands.

Wild animals inhabiting inside the national park usually take shelter in the highlands inside during the monsoon. There are as many as 33 new and 111 old highlands inside the park. The animals also move to the hills of nearby Karbi Anglong on the other side of the national highway during the season.