GUWAHATI: Even as flood situation improves, there has been no let-up in animal casualty in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park (KNP). Two waves of flood that hit KNP since last month have claimed altogether 346 animal lives so far with death toll increasing to 239 on Sunday.According to KNP’s latest flood report , 237 animals including 15 rhinos, one Royal Bengal tiger and four elephants were killed due to drowning in second wave of flood alone that hit Kaziranga on August 10. Two animals succumbed to injuries.Among animals deaths, hog deer has the highest casualty with 196 drowned, followed by 12 Sambar. Four wild boars , two each swamp deer and wild buffalos and one porcupine also drowned when the 87% of Kaziranga’s 430 Sq Km was in spate in the second wave.Flood levels have dropped by 13 cm on Sunday and 22% of KNP area is still under water. Also 39 out of 178 anti-poaching camps are inundated.KNP officials said that the second wave of flood came with a gush, inundating large swathe of the Park within almost eight hours.“In case of the first wave, water level increased gradually. But it was not the case in the second wave. As a result animals hardly got time to escape the deluge in the second wave. That is why casualty of animals is high in the second wave, and likely to increase as flood levels recedes further,” a KNP official said.Many animals including an estimated 20 rhinos are still on the highlands in Karbi Anglong district adjoining Kaziranga. World Heritage Site about 250 KM from here, Kaziranga is prone to the annual deluge as it is located on the flood plains of Brahmaputra.Kaziranga suffered highest ever animal casualty of 1203 in the 1988 flood.KNP officials said that they are assessing the extent of damage to Park’s infrastructure in the second wave. In the first wave Kaziranga suffered infrastructure damage worth Rs 7.35 Crore.