The herbivores of Jaldapara National Park have never faced such a food crisis in the past fifty years. Between October 4 and 5, most of the grasslands in the northern and eastern ranges of the national park, located in the Torsa and Shisamara river basins, were covered by two to three feet of dolomite-mixed silt. As a result, the main source of food for the wild animals has been destroyed. There is pressure on the food supply for the 80 kunkis (domesticated elephants) in the national park. The Jaldapara forest department is trying to manage the situation by bringing banana plants from nearby forest settlements for these domesticated elephants.
However, there is no answer to how the food crisis for wild elephants, rhinos, bison and deer will be addressed. There is also no plan to buy alternative food from the market. Jaldapara forest department's Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Parvin Kaswan says, "Due to natural disaster, most of the grasslands in the 216.51 square kilometre area of Jaldapara National Park have been destroyed. Some parts are still green. Unable to find food in their familiar environment, wildlife will crowd alternative places due to hunger."
In January 2006, less rainfall than normal caused problems in grassland growth. During the winter season, a food crisis for wildlife arosed due to a lack of grass. That time too, wildlife movement in local areas had increased. Later, after a few spells of rain, grass forests were formed again. Kaswan says, "People in the settlements adjacent to the nine ranges of Jaldapara National Park are being regularly alerted."
