Wildlife thronging waterholes in Corbett to quench thirst, seek relief from rising heat
Wednesday, 24 APRIL 2024 | OP Agnihotri | HALDWANI
The Corbett national park administration is watering about 150 waterholes in the national park to provide water and relief from the heat to the wildlife amidst rising summer heat. Tankers are being used to fill water in about 150 waterholes in the Dhikala, Sarpduli, Bijrani, Dhela, Jhirna, Kalagarh ranges and other parts of the national park. A range of wildlife from deer to elephants are frequenting these waterholes to quench their thirst and seek relief from the heat. Officials point out that the forest fire season is currently underway and summer temperatures are also on the rise. The natural sources of water have started to dry out due to the rising heat which results in shortage of water for the wildlife. The Forest department has built waterholes in various spots. The Dhela and Bijrani range officer Bhanu Prakash Harbola said that all the waterholes in Dhela and Bijrani were recently inspected and filled with water either from natural sources or using water tankers. The staff have been directed to regularly monitor the waterholes to ensure that there is no dearth of water in them. Similarly, arrangements are being made to ensure water in all the waterholes in Kalagarh and Jhirna ranges of Corbett. Range officer Nandkishore Ruvali informed that there are a total of 30 waterholes in these two forest ranges. These sites are being monitored regularly to ensure that the wildlife doesn’t suffer from lack of water. Apart from tigers being seen cooling off in waterholes, various other wild animals are also seen visiting the same waterhole to quench their thirst and seek relief from the rising heat, he added.
