Asian Current

Kaziranga National Park - Home of the Indian One Horned Rhino

With the mighty river Bramhaputra as its northern limit and the range of Karbi hills in the south, the Kaziranga National Park extends to well over 430 sq kms on the river’s south bank in the Indian state of Assam. This is where the Indian one horned rhinoceros can be found in most numbers, thanks to the efforts of wildlife wardens and the Park’s exclusive security arrangement. This endangered species, almost on the brink of disaster a few years back is now thriving well.

Kaziranga was a swampy, malaria ridden inaccessible wetland where local hunters had their hay day till 1905, when the government (then British) under Lord Curzon voiced his intention to turn it to a Reserve. By then, the rhinoceros population in the area had dwindled down to a mere 14 and the slaughtering continued unabated. However, the declaration was finalized soon and the area was officially closed to hunters in 1908. In 1950, it was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary and in 1974, accorded the status of a National Park. Kaziranga, in the local Karbi dialect means ‘where the mountain goat has got the water’.

The approach to Kaziranga is superb. The ride is comfortable and smooth, undulating tea estates alternate with forest and rice fields on either side. Along the horizon you can just about see the Bramhaputra in the distance. Soon, a turn off leads to the Kaziranga Wild Grass Resort. Gracefully built in the colonial style, the Wild Grass is a simple, elegant rural Inn, surrounded by silence, greenery and an ambience of real relaxation. The place is said to lure visitors even when the Park remain closed during the rainy season for its tranquility and excellent service. The resort arranges elephant rides and jeep safaris within the Park and trained mahouts locate rhinos within a remarkably short time. There are many other resorts inside the forest and outside as well.

Seeing the Rhino and the Tiger from atop the elephant is an incredible experience. You can get extremely close to the animals and reach out to inaccessible areas that a vehicle cannot go to when you are riding an elephant.

Apart from rhinos, Kaziranga boasts of wild buffalos and herds of wild elephants. Also seen are wild boars, porcupine and the king of the Indian forest, the Tiger. Crested serpent eagle and the gray-headed fishing eagle can be seen idly circling above the marsh land while the swamp partridge, bar-headed goose, Bengal florican storks, whistling teals and herons are sighted early evenings. Pelicans are also found occasionally within the precincts of Kaziranga.

Daybreak at Kaziranga is a breathtaking transition from cold gray to brilliant gold. Gilded grass turns to green as the nip in the air ebbs and a new day dawns on the grassland. As graceful silhouettes against the glowing horizon, swamp deer trot past the herd of wild buffalos wallowing in mud when tea is served in your room.

Evenings under the star-studded sky are ethereal. With glasses in hand, tourists relax around the campfire, startling at the sudden trumpeting of an elephant nearby. As the night wears on and the silvery moon climbs higher on the horizon, the awe-inspiring roar of a roaming tiger from the distant woodland seem to fill the very air you are breathing.

Best time to visit the Park is between November to April. The nearest airport is at Jorhat.