Assam: Flooded Grasslands Displace Dibru-Saikhowa’s Feral Horses onto NH-37

Incessant rainfall in Assam's Tinsukia district over the past few days has submerged the lush grasslands of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, pushing its iconic feral horses out of their natural habitat. 

 

On April 25, a pair of these majestic animals was spotted foraging along National Highway 37, as floodwaters turned their feeding grounds into vast temporary lakes.

 

These feral horses stand as one of India’s most intriguing wildlife legacies ,a living echo of World War II. 

 

Widely believed to descend from cavalry and cart horses abandoned by British and Allied forces in the 1940s, the herd has roamed freely for nearly eight decades across the park’s dynamic riverine floodplains, grassy chapories, and woodlands. 

 

Dibru-Saikhowa, notified as a national park in 1999 and designated a biosphere reserve, remains the only place in India supporting such a population of free-roaming equines. They typically move in small herds of 3–15 individuals, having adapted remarkably to the Brahmaputra’s seasonal rhythms while grazing on nutrient-rich grasses.

 

“These fantastic horses carry the untamed spirit of survival, turning wartime abandonment into a story of wild resilience across generations,” remarked a  local conservationist.

 

Forest officials and experts highlight growing challenges. Annual monsoon floods not only displace the animals but also erode vital grazing lands, while invasive species and competition from domestic cattle further shrink their habitat.

 

“The same floods that nourish this wetland ecosystem often become a threat to its most charismatic residents,”  a forest official said.

 

With intensifying rainfall patterns linked to climate change, such sightings underscore the vulnerability of this rare herd, estimated in recent studies between 150 and 200 individuals.

 

Conservationists urge stronger habitat protection, regular monitoring, and measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

 

The horses on NH-37 serve as a vivid reminder of nature’s delicate balance where history, resilience, and environmental pressures intersect in Assam’s breathtaking wetlands.