Kaziranga

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

The entire Kaziranga National Park is stretched across a plane area adjacent to the majestically flowing Brahmaputra River.

The Park is located against the backdrop of the evergreen hills of Karbi Anglong.

The Kaziranga National Park in Assam is the only habitat of the one-horned rhinocerous.

You can take elephant safaris to view the one-horned rhinocerous in its natural surroundings.

Moreover, the 430 sq km-park is also the habitat of exotic multi-hued butterflies, besides other flora and fauna like deer, bears, panthers, varieties of mammals including tigers.

The Kaziranga National Park is home to many reptiles like the Turtles, Monitor Lizards, and various species of snakes including the Rock pythons.

The Kaziranga National Park is also a paradise for bird watchers.

Mention may be made of the Red jungle fowl, Crested serpent eagle, Pallas’ fishing eagle, Grey headed fishing eagle, Whistling Teal, Bengal floricab, Adjutant Storks, Black necked Storks, Open Billed Storks, Pelicans, Egrets, White wired wood ducks, Swamp partridge, Bar headed goose, and Herons among others.

A trip to the Kaziranga National Park is worth taking. Taking a tour of the tropical rain forest having tall elephant grasses and swamps is a lifetime experience.

The Kaziranga National Park has abundance of flora. The prominent plants that grow in this picturesque wetland are lilies, lotus and water hyacinth.

The Kaziranga National Park is dotted with wide spread clumps of semi-green bushes besides the elephant grass – the main fodder for the large herbivorous pachyderms like the elephants and the one-horned rhinoceros.

Far from the madding crowd, Kaziranga national Park is truly a home away from home!

The sight of the majestic Brahmaputra flowing nearby adds to the unforgettable romantic affair with nature.

DATA OF THE FAUNA SPECIES

Here are the approximate figures of the fauna in Kaziranga National Park undertaken by the state forest department in its1990 Census there.

There are 7000 hog deer or para; 900 Indian One-horned Rhinos; 700 elephants; 700 wild boar; 700 swamp deer or barasingha; 600 wild buffaloes; 600 golden langurs; 600 Hoolock Gibbons; 300 barking deer; 300 otters; 300 cats; 300 leopards; 20 leopards; 50 tigers; 50 bears; 50 capped langurs; 50 Slow Loris; and 50 pygmy hogs.

THE KOHORA RANGE

You have to first report at the Kohora range of the state forest department. After the initial formalities, you can opt to stay at their well-furnished tourist bungalows or lodges. You can also choose to stay at the nearby privately run tourist lodgings.

Jeep Safaris

You can also go for the open jeep safaris.

You can book such rides with the local tour operators at the different tourist lodges and bungalows.

Have your cameras and binoculars ready to totally enjoy your ride in the olive green open hood jeeps.

Elephant Safaris

The elephant safaris within the Kaziranga National Park are quite in demand. Of special importance is to note the close relationship between the mahut (the elephant driver) with the pachyderm.

You need to book your ride on the elephant back quite in advance. This is because of the large flow of tourists, immense popularity of the elephant safaris and the paucity of time as well as elephants.

You can go for the advance booking for the elephant safari at the Bonani lodge located within the Kohora range.

The best part of the elephant safaris is that you can get real close to the wild beings as they move around in their paradise.

This single aspect gives the elephant safari an edge over the jeep safari. The noise of the engine compels the jeep driver and the tourists to watch the animals from quite a distance.

The motto of the safaris is to first give the wild animals peace – it is their land after all.

Wherever you opt to put up for the Kaziranga tour, ensure that you will be able to reach the Kohora range in the wee hours – the usual reporting time – for the elephant safaris.

The Kaziranga National Park authorities allow three elephant safaris daily. These elephant safaris commence from the Mihimukh range which is approximately three kilometers from the main Kohora range.

KAZIRANGA: LOCATION & DISTANCE

The Kaziranga National Park is located on the banks of the Brahmaputra River. It is, in fact, situated in the heart of the state.

National Highway-37 runs through the Kaziranga National Park.

The Kaziranga National Park is located 217 km from the gateway to the North East, viz. Guwahati.

The nearest road and rail stoppage is Jorhat which is just 96 km away.

The other place from which you can drive to the Kaziranga National Park is Furkating – 75 km away. You can proceed from Guwahati to Furkating by train also.

The ideal time to tour the Kaziranga National Park is the six-month period from November to April.

LODGING FACILITIES

You need to book your lodging facilities well in advance either at Baguri or Kohora ranges within the Kaziranga National Park.

The ideal schedule is to book a month or a week prior to embarking on the tour to this fascinating natural wonderland.

There are hotels too. Most of the private accommodation facilities are located along the National Highway-37.

KAZIRANGA: RAINFALL, FLOODS & THE BRAHMAPUTRA

On the average, the Kaziranga National Park gets an annual rainfall of 2300 mm.

Notably, the Kaziranga national Park experiences heavy rainfall after April. This is the time in Assam when the monsoon wind lashes the state. The torrential rains in Assam and the neighboring hilly states cause the Brahmaputra to flow beyond its banks.

The Brahmaputra River even breaches the embankments. This annual inclement climatic condition submerges many villages.

Hundreds of people are marooned. The administration has to take special steps to provide relief materials to the affected people.

The economic plight of the people is to be seen to be believed. The very backbone of the majority of the Assamese people – agriculture – breaks down. This causes immense hardship. Nonetheless, the people of the state have been struggling and also learning the hard way to adjust since ages with this annual love-hate affair with Mother Nature.

The floods remain for two to three months.

KAZIRANGA: THE MONSOON SEASON & POACHERS

Interestingly enough, the rains and flood waters propel the wild animals of the Kaziranga National Park to take refuge in the nearby highlands.

Unfortunately, the poachers pick this time to kill the animals particularly the pachyderms like the elephants and the rhinoceros.

The ivory of the elephant and the horn of the rhinoceros are exported. There is a large market in South East Asia due to their uses as medicines.

Many believe that the two items are aphrodisiac by nature. Besides, the ivory and the horn are also used in rings and pendants by many Asians.

KAZIRANGA: CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

The average winter temperature of Kaziranga National Park fluctuates between 24 degree Celsius and 7 degree Celsius.

On the other hand, the average summer temperature of Kaziranga National Park is between 35 degree Celsius and 24 degree Celsius.

KAZIRANGA: HOME OF THE GREAT INDIAN RHINO

The thickets of the grasses have transformed the park into the natural habitat of the one-horned rhinoceros.

Globally, the pachyderm is known as the ‘Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros’.

The march of time before the Kaziranga National Park has been declared a protected area is in itself a milestone. The measure was taken to protect the pachyderm targeted by poachers for the horn of the rhinoceros believed since the mythological times as having aphrodisiac properties.

Strangely enough, the aphrodisiac qualities of either the rhinoceros horn or the elephant’s ivory are still to be scientifically proved! 

Nonetheless, it speaks volumes of the dedicated efforts of the sentinels of the Kaziranga National Park that the dwindling number of the one-horned rhinoceros has started increasing. This is despite the fact that the security personnel of the Kaziranga National Park are yet to be equipped with state-of-the art armaments while the poachers confront them with AK series of rifles.

Nonetheless, there are still frequent cases of the endangered pachyderm including the elephant being killed just for their horns and the ivory.

The one-horned rhinoceros is listed in the Red Data Book which enlists the endangered animals.

The Government of India accepted the recommendations of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and declared this wide expanse as a ‘National Park’, to protect the rhinoceros from the poachers, in 1940.

The shot in the arm is the joint efforts of the World Wide Fund (WWF) to shield the one-horned rhinoceros.

The WWF working in India and Nepal are carrying out translocation projects are under operation with the sole target to keep the one-horned rhinos alive and kicking.

The Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros is also preserved in the Manas and Jaldapara national reserves.

KAZIRANGA’S GREAT INDIAN RHINO: A GLIMPSE

The Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros stands second in terms of mass, next to the Indian Elephant. The mammoth one-horned rhinoceros is the largest among the three Asian rhinoceroses.

It has been surmised that the Indian rhinoceros is a contemporary of the dinosaur.

The black-colored horn of this mature heavily built creature has a length of approximately 50 cm. It extends from the exterior portion of its nose. The hide of the Indian rhinoceros is a combination of grey and brown colors.

The skin is shaped in folds. The skin folds give the impression of an armor-plated cover.

The distinguishing features between the male and female rhinoceros are their lips and neck. The upper lips of the males are semi-prehensile and the neck folds are quite developed compared to their female counterparts.

The eating routine of the herbivorous one-horned rhinoceros is also quite typical. The consumption habits of the one-horned rhinoceros are shaped by their prehensile lips. They savor fruits, leaves, aquatic plants and grasses only two times of the day – the wee hours and dusk.

Mentionably, the rhinoceros are termed as landscape architects of their habitat. This is due to two reasons – their digestive schedule and their nomadic natures.

The one-horned rhinoceros takes three days to digest a meal; and it keeps on moving from one place to another in search of food. As a result, they are the natural transporters of seeds to considerable distances. They deposit the digested seeds as droppings in those places.

The rhinoceros has a major difference besides the size with its mammoth cousin – the elephant. The latter is basically a social being as it stays in herd. The character of the former is just the opposite. The rhinoceros loves to live alone. It is, therefore, very ascetic. It is only during the breeding season that the rhinoceros adopts a gregarious character. At times, of course, the one-horned rhinoceros come together while bathing in the river.

Though the one-horned rhinoceros is exotic to Assam, the typical habitat of this pachyderm is dwindling what with the rising human population and its pressure on the forest areas. The habitats of rhinoceros are the riverine forest areas and the grasslands. Hence, the only extant archetypal natural region resembling this characteristic in Assam – the Kaziranga National Park – has been zealously preserved.

The authorities need to adopt more pragmatic approaches to protect the exotic flora and fauna including the one-horned rhinoceros of the Kaziranga National Park.