All About Kaziranga - A Heaven Of Wildlife Enthusiasts

Kaziranga National Park is a well-reserved natural hub of diverse wildlife species in India. Located on the bank of the great Brahmaputra river in Nagaon and Golaghat District of Assam, Kaziranga is listed as a World Heritage Site. The park is also renowned for the conservation of the one horned rhinos. Furthermore, the protected area proffers unique wildlife sights together with different species of birds.

History

There are different beliefs related to the story of the park’s name being Kaziranga. Some people believe that it is named after a love-couple Kazi and Karbi Anglong while the other believe it to be named after a childless couple Kazi and Rangai. Moreover, there are some people who think that the sanctuary derived its name from a Karbi word. In 1904, the park was included in the list of protected areas, when Mary Victoria Leiter was concerned about the decreasing population of the rhinoceros. Thus, she convinced her husband Lord Curzon who was the viceroy of India, to take action to preserve the dwindling species in the park.

The Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was created with an area of 232 sq kms in the year 1905. The park was chosen as a Reserve Forest in 1908 and in 1916, it was transformed into a game sanctuary, which was later converted into Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary in the year 1950. The sanctuary got the title of a national park in 1968, when 'The Assam National Park Act of 1968' was passed by the Assam Government.

Abode to Diverse Fauna

Kaziranga National Park houses almost 35 species of mammals. The park is an abode of many kinds of animals such as the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, eastern swamp deer and wild Asiatic water buffalo. It also has the highest number of tigers in the world. Some of the other wildlife species found in the park are gaur, elephants, leopard, hog badger, Bengal fox, wild boar, Ganges dolphin and hoolock gibbons. The park also consists of a bird area that includes a variety of birds, game birds, predators, scavengers and water birds.

Rich Flora

The park consists four types of vegetations:

1. Alluvial Inundated Grasslands
2. Alluvial Savanna Woodlands
3. Tropical Moist Mixed Deciduous Forests
4. Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests

Some of the grasses and trees found in the park are spear grass, sugar cane, elephant grass, cotton tree, kumbhi, ficus rumphii, aphanamixis polystachya grewia serrulata, Albizia procera, leea indica and aphania rubra.

Wildlife Safari

The best way to get a glimpse of diverse flora and fauna is through the wildlife safari in Kaziraga National Park. Journey on the back of a mighty animal, elephant is certainly an enchanting experience that delights all wildlife enthusiasts. An open jeep safari is also an attractive option to explore the wilderness of the park. Boat Safaris are also offered in some of the areas.

Accommodation Facilities

There are various rest houses, lodges and dormitories available in the park offering a comfortable stay to the visitors. These accommodations are maintained by the Department of Environment and Forest, India Tourist Development Corporation and the Assam State Government. Presently, there are four government lodges at Kohora, a small town located in the Golaghat district of Assam. There are many accommodation facilities outside the park as well.

Best time to visit

November to April.

How To Reach

• By Bus: Kaziranga has good bus services from the nearby cities like Guwahati (217 KM), Dibrugarh, Nawgaon, Tezpur (75 KM), Jorhat (96 KM,) or Tinsukia. To reach the park, the tourists have to get down at Kohora.
• By Rail: Furkating (80 km) is the nearest railway station.
• By Air: Nearest airport is Jorhat town (96 km)
• By Motorcycle: Another way to reach the park from Kohima and Guwahati is by riding a motorcycle in a group. This motorbike tour is conducted as the guided motorcycle tours in Assam and neighboring states.

The Kaziranga National Park is surely a paradise for the wildlife aficionados and offers them an opportunity to amuse their senses with a wide array of wildlife species and awe-inspiring natural panorama!

The author is a travel fanatic, she loves to share her travel experience through her articles.