Kaziranga National Park
Total area : 430sq km
Distance from Guwahati : 215km
Altitude : 65 metres
Annual Rainfall : 2300mm
Nearest Airport : Jorhat (88km)
Nearest Railway Station : Furkating (75km)
Best time to visit : November to April
Status : World Heritage Site
¤ The Magic of The Wild
Mornings in the Kaziranga National Park in the northeastern state of
Assam are generally misty. So much so that the main gate of the Park
is called kohra, or mist. As the sun rises slowly above the horizon,
the area metamorphoses into a spectacular sight.
The tall, dense, lush green elephant grass wrapped in the haze makes
the first impact on the visitor. As the sun slices through the mist,
shallow swamps interspersed with large patches of semi evergreen
forests emerge gradually. Not far from the place, India’s most
notorious river Brahmaputra flows effortlessly, unmindful of the havoc
it is capable of wreaking during the monsoon.
¤ Wildlife Attractions In The Wild
Morning is the time of high animal activity in Kaziranga. A flock of
Rosy Pelicans glides across a water body in search of a suitable place
to hunt. A couple of otters lift their heads curiously to scan the
jungle. Suddenly, a small herd of hog deer disappears to a shrill
alarm call. There is certainly a predator on the move. Any casual
movement in the elephant grass could mean a tiger, a rhino or even a
wild buffalo.
This is Kaziranga National Park, where more than half of the world’s
population of one-horned rhinoceros can be found. The Park boasts of
the highest density of tiger population (nearly seventeen animals in
every hundred square kilometers).
Kaziranga can also be called the National Park of Giants. Name any
Indian species that is large in size and you are likely to find it
here. Elephants, rhinos, wild buffaloes, gaurs, tigers, swamp deer,
sambar deer; Kaziranga has it all. While we are still on
Kaziranga, the hoolock gibbon deserves a special mention. This
tailless ape is found in the hill forests of Assam.
Kaziranga also has a commendable population of birds. One can find
huge flocks of pelicans, rose-ringed parakeets apart from crested
serpent eagles, grey-headed fishing eagles, red jungle fowl, Bengal
floricabs, bar-headed geese, whistling teals and swamp partridges. The
commonly found storks are black-necked, adjutant and open-billed.
Egrets and herons of almost all types can be spotted sitting on the
peripheries of water bodies fed by the Brahmaputra.
Unfortunately, the river that pumps life into Kaziranga also snatches
it away sometime. Every year during the monsoon, the entire area is
submerged in the floodwaters of the Brahmaputra. Ironically, the river
whose literal meaning in Hindi is ‘the son of Lord Brahma - the
Preserver of the Universe’, swallows around a thousand hog deer
and many other wildlife species during the floods. At this time, all
the wildlife is forced to take shelter on island like places including
the watchtowers, made for forest guards, that can survives the ravages
of the floods. These towers are infested with snakes during these
months. But what is even more amazing is that these snakes and guards
live together in harmony, respecting each others right to live.
¤ Poaching On An Increasing Rate
Each tower has a small sanctum sanctorum dedicated to Devi Durga, who
is believed to be the saviour of the jungle. Everyday, before going
out on patrol, the guards invoke the Devi to help them guard the
jungle from poachers who, unfortunately, are equipped with better
firearms. The rate of poaching and deforestation in the northeastern
states of India is much higher than in other parts of the country.
Each year, a number of forest-guards in Kaziranga National Park in
India lose their lives in unending battles with poachers.
The main reason for these conflicts in Kaziranga National Park in
India is the rhino. There are more than 1200 rhinos in the Park. It is
believed that the rhino-horn (actually a massive overgrowth of hair)
has unique medicinal and aphrodisiac properties. A rhino-horn can
fetch as much as 5,000 U.S. Dollars in the international market. It is
in great demand with Chinese and ancient Indian medicine
practitioners. The rhino’s blood and flesh is considered to
possess magical qualities and even its urine is used as an antiseptic.
No doubt, poachers see the rhino as an easy source of income and ‘power’.
The rhino is an animal of definite habits. It seldom ventures out of
its territories, uses the same trails to commute, and even defecates
at the same spot most of the time. After observing the rhino for days,
hunters dig a pit big enough to accommodate the animal on its route
and cover it with leaves.
Unaware of the conspiracy, the rhino falls into the pit and is
killed.
Tigers pose another major threat to rhinos. Despite the mother’s
strict vigilance, rhino cubs often fall prey to tigers. But instances
of tigers getting seriously injured in the process have also come to
light.
Once Kaziranga National Park was an easy ground for the shikar
parties of Rajas and Maharajas (one of the Ranas from Nepal killed 97
rhinos in a month!). Their hide made excellent shields and their body
parts were used by royal ‘hakims’, or doctors to make
aphrodisiac. But when the rhino population dwindled to a mere twelve
in 1908, the authorities introduced stringent laws to save the
species. In 1926, the area was declared a reserve forest and was
closed for hunting. For the next twelve years, Kaziranga enjoyed being
at an arm’s length from human beings. It was during this time
that the Park was rejuvenated and grew into a healthy forest. In 1938,
the area was thrown open to tourists once again.
Today, Kaziranga National Park in India is one of the biggest success
stories of wildlife protection in the country. From twelve rhinos in
1908, Kaziranga had a whopping rhino population of 1200 by the turn of
the century. However, the outer limit that the Park can sustain is
500. The lack of space and grazing area leads to serious conflicts
amongst the rhinos and it is not uncommon to come across badly injured
bulls in the Park. Nevertheless, the forest department is relocating
rhinos to other National Parks in the country.
The best month to visit Kaziranga National Park in India is December,
when the bird population touches a peak. Elephants are the best way to
commute in the jungle. Jeep can also be hired from the office of
forest department, but it restricts movement to the trails.
¤ Accomodation
Forest lodges-Don’t forget to make your reservations well in
advance at the tourist office or the Park Headquarters. |
