BY MANOJ ANAND Guwahati Sept. 1: After inundating hundreds of villages, the rising water of mighty Brahmaputra has submerged a large portion of Kaziranga National Park forcing a large number of endangered animals to flee from the park for safer high lands. The director of the park S.N. Buragohain said: "More than half of Kaziranga National Park is now under water. The park animals have started migrating towards safer high lands." The Brahmaputra and its tributaries have submerged about 1,200 villages while displacing more than 50,000 people in eight districts of Assam. In view the rising trend of Brahmaputra, the park authorities have enforced prohibitory orders to vehicles to drive slowly as they pass through the national highway that falls within the park. The park officials said: "We have put barricades along the national highways as animals use highway to cross over to the hill to escape the floods." The park authorities are also worried about the frequent incidents of rhinos straying to nearby villages thereby inviting poachers to take the advantage of the situation. However park authorities have carried out awareness campaign among the villagers in the fringe areas to inform them in case of spotting the wild animals straying to vulnerable areas. A large number of animals, including deer, get mowed down by speeding trucks while crossing the highway to escape the annual floods.