Spread over Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam Kaziranga National Park lies at the edge of the eastern Himalayas. It has achieved remarkable success in conserving wildlife in India. The park extends over a geographical area of 430 sq km, comprising tropical forests, grassland, marshland and numerous small water bodies. Kaziranga National Park is famous for its profound wildlife including one-horned rhinoceros, tiger, swamp deer, water buffalo, elephant and a large number of bird species.
1. UNESCO World Heritage Site
The park owes its existence to the conservation efforts of Mary Curzon and her husband Lord Curzon, then Viceroy of India.
It became a reserve forest in 1904 primarily to protect the declining population of Rhinos.
Assam National Park Act was passed by the Assam Government in 1968, declaring Kaziranga a designated national park with an area of 430 sq km.
An additional area of 429 sq km was added later to provide an extended habitat to the wild animals.
Central Government recognized it as a national park in 1974 and later UNESCO declared Kaziranga a World Heritage Site.
As per UNESCO’s description of Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga is regarded as one of the finest wildlife refuges in the world. The park’s contribution in saving the Indian one-horned rhinoceros from the brink of extinction at the turn of the 20th century to harbouring the single largest population of this species is a spectacular conservation achievement.
2. Home to Vulnerable One-horned Rhinoceroses
Kaziranga is home to more than 91 percent of Assam’s rhinos and 80 percent of India’s rhino population, according to a 2015 population census conducted by the park authorities.
The latest Rhino census has counted 2413 one-horned rhinos, up 12 from the year 2015. The park also boasts of being home to two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) changed the status of Indian Rhinos from endangered (since 1986) to vulnerable species in 2008.
3. Only Habitat to Eastern Swamp Deer
India has 3 species of swamp deer, Western swamp deer, Southern swamp deer and Eastern swamp deer.
Excessive hunting and fast seizure of grasslands for agricultural use have caused a massive decline in their population.
According to the last census for Eastern Swamp Deer conducted in 2016, there were 1148 individuals in the park, out of which 284 were males, 604 females and 196 calves.
4. Important Bird Area
Birdlife International recognizes Kaziranga as an important bird area. It is home to almost 478 distinct bird species which include migratory and resident birds.
You can see a vast variety of rare bird species, like Blyth’s kingfisher, white-bellied heron, black-bellied tern and many more species of birds.
Migratory birds, like black-necked stork, Asian openbill and greater adjutant stork visit the park during the winter season.
5. Highest Density of Tigers
Kaziranga National Park got the status of a tiger reserve in 2006 and the count of tigers in the reserve stands at 104, according to an estimate done in 2017.
The park boasts one of the highest densities of tigers in India with 21 tigers per 100 sq km, more than that of Corbett National Park and Bandipur National Park.
It has been described as a biodiversity hotspot owing to the presence of extremely rich and highly diverse species of flora and fauna.
Kaziranga National Park is famous for several unique attributes and I have elaborated some of them in this post. Every wildlife enthusiast would certainly want to visit this place.
Best Time to Visit
The best season to visit Kaziranga National Park is from November to April. The park remains closed during the rainy season from the month of May till October.
How To Get There
The nearest domestic airport is Rowriah Airport in Jorhat, located at a distance of about 97 km from the park. Guwahati Airport is the closest international airport, situated at a distance of almost 209 km.
By train, you can reach up to Furkating Junction railway station, which is located at a distance of 75 km from the park. It is well connected to many cities by train, such as Guwahati, New Delhi, and Kolkata.
The other nearest railway station in Guwahati is almost 213 km away from the park. You can also catch a bus from Guwahati to reach Kohara, which is the nearest bus stop.
Many state transport and privately run buses ply at regular intervals to Kohara.
Nearby Places To Visit
If you are making a stop at Guwahati en route to Kaziranga, don’t miss visiting Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. It is the closest wildlife destination to Guwahati where you can see one-horned rhinos.
Check this post to know more: Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary – Essential Travel Guide.
Over To You Now…
While Kaziranga National Park is famous for its one-horned rhinos, many other forms of wildlife get shelter and thrive in this park.
Have you visited this amazing wildlife destination? Share your travel and wildlife sighting experiences with us in the comment section below.
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Nice reading Rashmi
We r going there in a months time
Have you visited wildlife sanctuaries in the south . Nagarahole n Kabini is an amazing one summer is the best time to see good numbers of leopards tigers
Thanks Dr Raghu. Kaziranga is an amazing place for watching wildlife. Happy planning Kaziranga trip 🙂
I have been to many wildlife reserves in the south including Wayanad wildlife sanctuary, Bandipore, Parambikulam and Nagarhole national park too. All are super-rich in wildlife. I spotted tiger but couldn’t see the ghost of Kabini ‘black panther’. They are so rarely seen.
Great article on Kaziranga. Enjoyed reading it.
Is Kaziranga also home to wild Asian buffalos?
Yes Kaziranga is also home to Wild water buffaloes and accounts for 57% of the wild buffalo population in the world.