kaziranga national park
Kaziranga National Park lies partly in Golaghat district and partly in Nagaon district of Assam. It is one of the oldest parks of India, covering an area of 430 square kilometres along the Brahmaputra river on the north and Karbi Anglong hills on the south. Due to its unique natural environment Kaziranga National Park was declared as a national park in 1974 and subsequently it was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
The most famed animal of this park is the One horned Rhinoceros and this park is supposed to host almost two-thirds of this endangered species. The park is also home to a large number of tigers, elephants, wild buffaloes, bears and numerous species of birds. The landscape of Kaziranga consists of sheer forests, tall elephant grass and large water pools.
The Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family. Listed as a vulnerable species, the large mammal is primarily found in parts of north-eastern India and in protected areas in the Terai of Nepal, where populations are confined to the riverine grasslands in the foothills of the Himalayas.
These Rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic Plain but excessive hunting reduced their natural habitat drastically. Today, about 3,000 Rhinos live in the wild, 2000 of which are found in Assam’s Kaziranga alone.
Reptiles in Kaziranga National Park are Snakes,Lizards,Turtles/Tortoises and Crocodiles.The swamps of Kaziranga National Park have an abundant cover of water lilies, water hyacinth and lotus, providing a beautiful look to the surroundings of the park. Rattan Cane, which is a type of climbing palm, also adds to the natural beauty of Kaziranga National Park.
Common birds found here are the Lesser White-fronted Goose, Ferruginous Duck, Baer's Pochard, Lesser and Greater Adjutant Storks, Black-necked Stork, and Asian Openbill which migrate from Central Asia to the Kaziranga during winter.
The park can be best explored on either a jeep safari or an elephant safari. The sighting of various animals can not be guaranteed but if you join an early morning safari, you are more likely to sight the maximum number of animals.
Summer, Monsoon and winter are the three main seasons experienced in the park. The winter season usually between November and February is mild and dry and the day time temperatures average around 25 °C. The summer season between March and May is quite hot with day time temperatures reaching up to 37 °C. The rainy season lasts from June to October and some parts of the park are flooded due to the rising water level of the Brahmaputra River. This flooding causes most of the animals to migrate to higher regions of the park.The best season to visit the park is from mid November to early April when the weather is pleasant and dry.
Most of the lodges and other places to stay provide breakfast and dinner. Lunch can be had inside the park, either taken with you or provided by the tour operator. Its advisable to get plenty of water to drink as it is usually hot and humid in the park.
Kaziranga National Park can be reached by air, road and railway.
By Air : Tezpur Airport at Salonibari is the nearest airport, which is approx 60 km (1 hour) away from Kaziranga.
By Rail : The most nearest railway station is Jakhalabandha, which is 22.1 km (21 minutes) away from Kaziranga.
By Road : The nearest route by bus is Guwahati (225 km/approx.4 hrs) where private bus services are accessible from Paltan bazar/ Inter State Bus Terminus (NH Bypass at Sarusajai).
Sleep
Quite a few accommodation options are available in and around the Kaziranga National Park. Around four tourist lodges at Kohora and three excellent lodges inside the park are maintained by the Forest Department, Government of Assam.
