Welcome to the land of Rhinoceros Unicornis, the great Indian one-horned rhino, more than two tons of frightening muscle and tank-like belligerence. With its armour-plating hide and its 24” long horn- which really isn’t a horn, but compressed hair- the Indian rhino once ruled the roost in the wetlands of north-east India. Hunted mercilessly, it was on the brink of extinction when conservationists awoke to its plight. The result, and a successful one at that, is Kaziranga National Park, in Assam. Stretching over an area of 430sq km on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river, Kaziranga is one of the last refuges of the Indian rhino. A vast stretch of coarse, tall elephant grass, marshland and dense tropical forests, it has managed to survive the onslaught of poachers, urbanization and burgeoning human populations. Plans are already afoot to extend the park’s boundaries to include the Brahmaputra river to the north and a part of the Mikir hill ranges to the south.

Kaziranga has often been compared to African parks because of the quality of wildlife viewing. The park contains about fifteen species of India's threatened mammals, including the world's largest population of the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros. Wild buffalo, elephants and tiger abound while the forested southern slope contains India's only ape, the Hoolock Gibbon. Winter sees an influx of migrant birds including large flocks of Bar-headed Geese. With many ponds and swampy areas, this is also a good place to see the Common Indian Otter.

Time to visit
The best season to visit Kaziranga is the winter- approximately November to April. The weather’s hot and humid through much of the rest of the year. In particular, avoid the monsoons (June to September), when there’s heavy rainfall and the park often gets flooded.

Flora & Faunna
The Leopard is prominent in the park's list of predators, which includes the Tiger and lesser cats like Jungle Cats and Fishing Cats. Primates found here are the Capped Langur and Hoolock Gibbon, while other mammals are the Sloth Bear, Common Indian Otter, Wild Boar, Gaur, Sambar, Swamp Deer, Hog Deer and Indian Muntjac.

The reptilian fauna includes the Water Monitor, Indian Python, Common Cobra and the fabled King Cobra. The Brahmaputra is an excellent place to view Gangetic dolphins. The avifauna here comprises over 300 species. The numerous water bodies are rich reservoirs of food attracting over 100 species of migratory birds - some from as far as Siberia.

Other birds found are the Black-Necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Bengal Florican, Swamp Francolin, Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Great Hornbill, Green Imperial Pigeon, Silver-Breasted Broadbill, Jerdon's Bushchat, Pallas' Fish Eagle and the Grey-headed Fish Eagle.

Tall, dense grasslands interspersed with tropical wet evergreen forests and tropical semi-evergreen forests, interconnecting streams and numerous small lakes or bheels with the Eastern Himalayas in the background.

Entry Requirements
Visitors to the Kaziranga National Park are required to register at the Tourist Centre in the Bonani Tourist Lodge while entering the park. The entry fee for foreigners is about Rs 200; for Indians it’s Rs 10. Charges for cameras and vehicles are additional (even if you bring your own vehicle, you’ll pay a fee for it). Rented vehicles and elephant rides cost between Rs 750 to 800 for a ride of about an hour and a half. The fees for Indian visitors are appreciably less- generally between Rs 50 for an elephant ride and Rs 150 for a hired jeep.

How to reach

• By Air
  Nearest airport Jorhat (96 kms) is connected by Indian Airlines flights with Calcutta which in turn is connected with other cities in India.
• By Rail
  Nearest railway station Furkating (75 kms from Kaziranga) on the metre guage line is directly connected to Guwahati which in turn is connected with the other major cities in India.
• By Road
  Kaziranga (Kohora) to Guwahati 217 km, Jorhat 96 km, Furkating 75 kms.