One of the animals which have survived the
vagaries of time is the one horned
Rhinoceros. This huge animal has continued
its struggle for survival since prehistoric
times. One horned rhinoceros stamped the
plains of Ganga, Indus and the Brahamaputra
but slowly they fell to the greed of man.
These quite but mammoth herbivores were
killed in large numbers. Their existence was
wiped from the plains and they came on the
verge of extinction.
It was early in the 20th century when the
British government woke up to save one
horned rhinos. But the damage had been done
and very few of them were found in the wet
land of Assam. But efforts were made to save
what ever was left and in 1908 Kaziranga was
declared as reserve forest and was
officially closed for shooting.
A ray of hope was seen in a distance. But it
was not until 1974 that Kaziranga was
declared as a national park. Today it covers
an area of 430 km. Kaziranga is the best
home of the great Indian one horned rhino.
This park is located in the central Assam
and lies partly in Golaghat district and
partly in Nagaon district of the state.
The sheer forests, tall elephant grass,
rugged reeds, marshes & shallow pools are
perfect to support the largest number of
Rhinos in the subcontinent. Though the
greatest threat to cute animals has come
from poaching their number in the park is
quite healthy. The park is located along the
main highway between Jorhat and Guwahati,
which make it easily accessible and the
chance to see animals in the wild at close
quarters makes a visit to the park very
rewarding experience. At Kaziranga, the open
country makes wildlife viewing fairly easy.
A day's outing is often sufficient for
visitors to see most of the major species
here.
Park Population :
The wildlife population of the park includes
elephant, Indian bison, swamp deer, sambhar,
hog deer, sloth bear, tiger, leopard cat,
jungle cat, hog badger, capped langur,
hoolock gibbon, pig jackal, porcupine,
python, buffalo and of course the one horned
rhinoceros.
Pelican, duck, geese, hornbill, ibis,
cormorant, egret, heron, black necked stork,
lesser adjutants, ring tailed fishing eagles
are plenty in the national park. During
winters a large number of migratory birds
are also seen here.
Nearby Attractions :
There are many places which can be visited
while you are staying at Kaziranga. The
Kakochang waterfalls are 13 kms from
Bokakhat. Not far from the park are the
ruins of the ancient Numaligarh. These ruins
are of great archaeological importance. The
tea gardens of Hatikhuli, Methoni, Difalu,
Behora Borchapori are also good break from
the wildlife of Kaziranga. As if you do not
want to leave the park then do not miss the
Coffee & rubber plantations behind the
tourist lodge.
Park Trips :
The park can be entered on elephant back or
in a jeep or by car. There are trips
covering Mihimukh, Baguri, Hole path,
Arimarah, Kohora Central path-Baguri all
areas teeming with wildlife- all
authentically wild.
Climate :
The climate of Kaziranga park is tropical.
the Summers are hot and winters cold. Take
cotton cloths for summers and do not forget
to pack woolens during winters. The average
rainfall is 160 cms. But the monsoon months
bring heavy downpours which often flood the
park.
Best Time to Visit :
The best season to visit this park is
between November to April. Rest of the year
it is off season for the national park.
Avoid the monsoon as many parts of the park
is flooded and animals are not easy to spot.
Accommodation :
There is wide range of accommodation
facility at the park. There are rest houses,
dormitory and lodges maintained by the
forest department and the ITDC. The forest
department has two rest houses and one
dormitory. ITDC has three lodges, one
dormitory and two cottages. All these
provide a good and healthy stay at the park.
The lodges have A/C and non A/C rooms
furnished with all types gadgets to give you
make you feel at home. The Wild Grass is a
private resort which offers good alternative
for accommodation.
Getting There :
The nearest airport is Jorhat. But the
Guwahati airport has more flights. Guwahati
is about 239 kms and Jorhat is 96 km. There
are regular bus services from all over the
state for Kaziranga but the bus drops till
Kohara which is very close to the park.
Apart from the state transport corporation
buses there are travel agencies and the
tourist taxi to this place. The nearest rail
head is Furkating about 75 kms from the
park. There are conducted tours from
Guwahati too for the national park. These
tours are organized by the tourism and
forest departments.
For More Information :
Director, Kaziranga National Park,
P.O Bokakhat,
Dist. Jorhat,
Assam (India) - 785612
Tel : (03776) 68007
Reservation Authority:
Joint Director of Tourism, Kaziranga,
P.O Kaziranga National Park,
Dist Jorhat, Assam (India) - 785612
For Conducted tours :
Tourist Information Officer,
Station Road,
Guwahati,
