Kaziranga National Park

Baloo, Bagheera, Sher Khan and Mowgli, you found all these wildlife favourites of yours in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, but for One-horned Rhinos its Kaziranga calling..

The lumbering one-horned rhino, poached extensively for its horn, can be found in Assam's Kaziranga National Park, the north -eastern state of India. Lying along the mighty Brahmaputra river, the Kaziranga National park is spread across 430 sq . Kms. The swamps and grasslands with tall elephant grass and patches of evergreen forest make it an ideal spot for wildlife enthusiasts. A visit at dawn in this park offers a memorable experience. As the mist lifts and the rising sun lights up the landscape, herds of barasingha and wild buffalo can be seen in the marshes. Rhinos browse unconcerned as tourists gawk at them and strain their cameras to get the perfect image.

Though large-scale poaching of the rhino for its horn depleted the population, great efforts are on to save this majestic though ugly creature. Since the national park is situated along the highway it is easily accessible and animals can be observed from the close quarters. The grasslands are raptor country and the crested serpent eagle, the Pallas's fishing eagle and grey headed fishing eagle circle overhead. The swamp patridge , the bar- headed goose, whistling teal, the Bengal florican can also be seen at Kaziranga. A lesser known fact about Kaziranga National Park is that it also is a bird watcher's paradise. The Oriental Honey Buzzard, Black-Shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, Pallas's Fishing Eagle, White Tailed Eagle, Grey-Headed Fishing Eagle, Himalayan Griffon, eTC asre found here in the park premises. Huge numbers of migratory birds descend on the parks lakes and marshy areas during winters, including Greylag Geese, Bar-Headed Geese, Ruddy Shelduck, Gadwall, Falcated Duck, Red-Crested Pochard and Northern Shoveller.
Kaziranga -Steeped In History
1908 . Declared as Reserve Forest
1917 . Declared as Game Sanctuary
1938 . Opened to visitors
1950 . Declared as a Wild Life Sanctuary
1974 . Declared as a National Park
1975 . First protected area in India equipped with Wireless sets
1985 . Inscribed in World Heritage Site List by UNESCO

The De Facto
Location - Assam
Area - 480 sq . km
Main Attractions - Rhinos, elephants, hoolock and gibbons.
Best Time To Visit - November to late March
Timings - 7.30 am to 4 pm
Entrance Tariff - Rs. 20 for Indians and Rs. 250 for foreigners.

Access
Nearest Airports
Jorhat -100 kms
Guwahati -210 kms
Tezpur ( Salonibari ) - 75 kms
Nearest Railway Station - 200 kms
History City of Tezpur - 65 kms
Did You Know?

• There are over 1500 rhinos in Khaziranga. This UNESCO World Heritage Site turned 100 in 2005.
• Kaziranga was declared a reserve forest in 1905 and the area was officially closed for shooting in 1908.
• In 1974 Kaziranga was given the status of a National Park.
• The park is home to over 70 % of the world's swamp or wild buffalo population.