Kaziranga National Park
Location: Bokakhat, Assam.
Area covered: 430-sq-kms
Main Wildlife Found: Rhinos, Tigers, Leopards
Best time to visit: November to March.
About
When Marco Polo first spotted the one-horned Rhino, he thought it was the legendary
Unicorn. With a population of over a thousand, Kaziranga National Park has the
largest concentration of the one-horned Rhino in the subcontinent, saving it
from near extinction.
Lying along the mighty Brahmaputra River, the Kaziranga National Park covers
an area of about 430 sq. km. Its swamps and grasslands with tall thickets
of elephant grass and patches of evergreen forest, support the largest number
of rhino in the subcontinent. It was an alarming depletion in their numbers,
due to hunting and poaching that led to the conservation of this area in 1926.
The most ferocious bovine in the world, the massive wild buffalo is impressive
and can weigh up to 915 kg. Rhinos browse unconcernedly as the visitors pass
by and an occasional herd of elephants or wild boar is also sighted. The grasslands
are raptor country and the crested serpent eagle, the Pallas fishing eagle
and grey headed fishing eagle can be seen circling over the marshes. The water-bird
variety includes swamp partridge, bar-headed goose, whistling teal, the Bengal
florican, storks, herons and even pelicans.
Wildlife Attractions
The park contains about 15 species of India's threatened (Schedule I)
mammal species. The best-known inhabitant of course is the Rhinoceros unicornis
(rhino) and they make it their largest home anywhere in the world. The number
of this once-threatened mammal has been regularly in the increasing order.
From only a few dozen in 1908 to more than 1000 now, the route has been quite
long.
Unique Attractions
Rhino (Wildlife)
Contrary to what one may have heard, rhinos browse past visitors nonchalantly.
The rhino is a peace-loving animal and, instead of batting an eyelid about
peaceful tourists who have invaded its territory, it keeps itself busy grazing
in the wild. Moreover, the conditions at Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary are
ideal for the rhino to survive. In addition to elephant rides, several watch
towers have been set up for elevated viewing of the wildlife park. Pleasant
boat rides at the nearby Rhinoland Park can also be availed by tourists.
Avifauna (Wildlife)
Kaziranga is also an ornithologist's delight and you can find a great number
of avifaunal species here. The numerous water bodies of Kaziranga are rich reservoirs
of food (including fish) and thousands of migratory birds, representing over
100 species, visit the park seasonally from as far as Siberia. Major migratory
birds are the grey pelican, black-necked stork, lesser adjutant stork, Pallas's
fish eagle, grey-headed fish eagle, about 25-30 Bengal floricans, swamp partridge,
grey peacock-pheasant, great pied hornbill, green imperial pigeon, and silver-breasted
broadbill. Sunset is a pleasant sight as well, with the birds returning to their
nests.
Other Attractions
Kaziranga National Park is one of the most picturesque wildlife parks in India.
Apart from being the home of the one-horned rhino, it is also the natural
habitat of wild buffaloes, wild boars, elephants, Barasinghas (swamp and hog
deer), leopards, tigers, hoolock gibbons, capped langur, rock python, monitor
lizards, various species of eagles, partridge, bar-headed geese, whistling
teals, florican storks, herons, pelicans and water fowls. Large areas of the
park comprise of marshland interspersed with large pools fringed with reeds,
patches of elephant grass, scattered trees, and thickets.
There is a museum at Kanha depicting attributes and activities of the park
and tribal culture. It is closed every Wednesday.
Best Time to Visit
The best season to visit Kaziranga is the winter- approximately November to
April. The weather’s hot and humid through much of the rest of the year.
In particular, avoid the monsoons (June to September), when there’s heavy
rainfall and the park often gets flooded.
How to get there?
By Air: Nearest airport Jorhat (96 kms) is connected by Indian Airlines flights
with Calcutta which in turn is connected with other cities in India
By Rail: Nearest railway station Furkating (75 kms from Kaziranga)
on the metre guage line is directly connected to Guwahati which in turn is
connected with the other major cities in India
By Road: Kaziranga (Kohora) to Guwahati 217 km, Jorhat 96 km, Furkating
75 kms.
Bus: The Assam Road Transport Corporation runs regular buses from Guwahati,
Jorhat, Furkating which stop at Kohora 5 kms outside the Park and where the
accommodation is located. Long distance night coaches run by private operators
from Guwahati and Jorhat also stop here on request. The Tourist Department,
Kaziranga Forest Lodge, has a reservation quota of 10 seats on the Kaziranga
Express from Golaghat to Guwahati.
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Resort in Kaziranga
