Assam Wildlife
Kaziranga National Park
The
Kaziranga National Park is the only National Park in the State situated in central
Assam with an area of 430sq. km. It is the home of the great Indian one horned
Rhinoceros (Unicornis). The landscape of Kaziranga is of sheer forest, tall
elephant grass, rugged reeds, mellow marshes and shallow pools.
Kaziranga has a history of its own. Lady Curzon first heard about the Rhinos
of Kaziranga from her British tea planter friends and came to Assam in 1904-05.
Although she could not see the animal, she spotted hoof prints with three toes
and believed that such an animal did exist. On her return, she persuaded lord
Curzon to do something to save this animal from total annihilation.
Lord Curzon set the wheels of the British bureaucracy rolling, and on June 1,
1905, a preliminary notification announcing the intention of the Government
to declare 57,273.60 acres of Kaziranga as a reserved forest was issued. Finally,
Kaziranga was declared as reserved forest on January 3, 1908, and was officially
closed for shooting.
On January 28, 1913 the area of reserved forest was expanded with the inclusion
of another 13,506 acres. Kaziranga was declared a Game Sanctuary on November10,
1916. In 1938, the then conservator of forest, A.J.W. Milroy stopped all poaching
and opened Kaziranga to visitors. Because the word 'game' connotated animals
for hunting, in 1950, the then senior conservator of forest Mr P D Stracey,
changed the term to 'wildlife sanctuary'.
Gradually
the sanctuary, begun as a nucleus encompassing a small area, expanded to its
present size. Finally on February 11, 1974, the name was changed to Kaziranga
National Park.
The one horned Rhinoceros, Elephant, Indian bison, Swamp Deer, Samber, Hog Deer,
Sloth Bear, Tiger, Leopard cat, Jungle cat, Hog badger, Capped langur, Hollock
gibbon, Jackal, Goose, Hornbills, Ibis, Cormorants, Egret, Heron fishing eagle
etc. all form a part of the very complex ecological balance of the park. During
Winter a large number of migratory birds are also seen here.
How To Reach :
Kaziranga is 239 km from the Guwahati airport and 97 km from the Jorhat airport.
Regular bus services run by the State Transport Corporation, Travel Agencies,
Tourist taxis are available. The Bus stoppage for Kaziranga is known as Kohora.
The nearest railhead is Furkating at a distance of 75 km.
General Information :
The average temperature around Kaziranga National Park in summer is 32.2°
C and in winter 10° C. The average rainfall is 160 cm. Tourists are advised
to wear cotton in summer and woolens in winter. The best season for visiting
Kaziranga is November to April. The off season is from May to October.
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here for Wildlife Sanctuaries in Assam
