Kaziranga National Park, Assam
Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park is one of the last refuges and the habitat of one horned Rhino (Rhinoceros Unicornis). With its weight of nearly two tons and 24 inches horn, which is a compressed hair; the Indian Rhino enjoys its monopoly in the wetlands of northeast India.
The Kaziranga National Park in India located on the banks of the brahmaputra River encompassed by a large part of Mikir Mountain Ranges; it is covered with tall elephant grass, marshes, and dense tropical forests in the state of Assam. It covers an area of 430-sq-kms making an ideal habitat for the Indian One-Horned Rhino.
In 1908, Kaziranga was declared a reserve forest to protect this indigenous endangered species imposing a ban on poaching of Indian Rhino. The Kaziranga National Park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1940 and in 1974 it was given the status of a national park. The national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
By the efforts of the Indian government and the zoo officials, from then figure of 12 Rhino in early 90's, the rhino population of Kaziranga has exceeded to thousand Rhinos.
Wildlife in Kaziranga National Park
Breaking the hegemony of the gigantic one-horned Rhino, the other animals that attract the attention of the visitors are: Indian Elephants, Tigers, Wild Boar, Jackal, Wild Buffalo, Pythons, Monitor Lizards, Indian Bison, Swamp Deer or Barasingha, Leopard, Hog Deer, Sloth Bears, Jungle Cats, Otters, Hog Badgers, Capped Langurs, Hoolock Gibbons etc.
Kaziranga National Park is an awesome place for a Birding tour. The major bird species residing here are the Oriental Honey Buzzard, Black-Shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, Pallas's Fishing Eagle, White Tailed Eagle, Grey-Headed Fishing Eagle, Himalayan Griffon etc. A large number of migratory birds that inhabit the lakes and marshy areas in the park during winters include Greylag Geese, Bar-Headed Geese, Ruddy Shelduck, Gadwall, Falcated Duck, Red-Crested Pochard and Northern Shoveller.
Climate of Kaziranga National Park
The climate of the park is humid (Tropical). The summer months are very hot here whereas the winter season is too cold. Bring the light cotton clothes during the summers and carry the woolens in the winter period. The normal rainfall in the park is 160 CMS. But during the monsoon the park gets very serious downpours that normally flood the region.
Best Time to visit Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park can be best visited from mid-November to early April. The low-lying grasslands of the park get flooded with the waters of Brahmaputra River in the monsoons. During this time period of floods the animals migrate from one place to another.
How to reach Kaziranga National Park
Air: The nearest airport near Kaziranga is situated at Guwahati at a distance of 217-kms. Another airport is located at Jorhat, which is 97-kms from Kaziranga.
Train: The nearest railway station is Furkating; 75-kms away from Kaziranga National Park. There are direct trains from Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum to Guwahati. Jorhat and Guwahati are well connected by road with all the neighbouring states- West Bengal, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
Road: The main gate for Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary is at Kohora on the NH-37. The private buses connect the national park to the major cities like Guwahati, Tezpur and Upper Assam. Some buses also provide for a certain quota for the tourists willing to visit Kaziranga. From Jorhat and Guwahati, one can hire taxis and buses for Kaziranga.