Kaziranga National Park

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Kaziranga National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location:	Assam, India
Nearest city:	Golaghat, India
Coordinates:	26°40′0″N, 93°21′0″E
Area:	430 km² (166 mi²)
Established:	1974
Total Visitation:	5228[1] (in 2005-06)
Governing body:	Government of India, Government of Assam

Kaziranga National Park (Assamese: কাজিরঙা রাষ্ট্রীয় উদ্যান, IAST: kājirangā jātiya uddyāna, IPA: /kaziɹɔŋa ɹastɹijɔ udːjan/ (help·info)) is an Indian national park and a World Heritage Site in Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam, India. It is refuge for the world's largest population of Great One-horned Rhinoceros. Kaziranga has the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the World and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. The park has large breeding populations of Elephant, Water Buffalo and Swamp Deer. Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International for conservation of avifaunal species. The park has achieved notable progress in wildlife conservation with respect to other protected areas in India.

Kaziranga is a vast stretch of tall elephant grass, marshland and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests crisscrossed by four main rivers — Brahmaputra, Diphlu, Mora Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri and has numerous small water bodies. Kaziranga has been the theme of several books, documentaries and songs. The park celebrated its centenary in 2005 after its establishment in 1905 as a reserve forest.

Kaziranga is one of the largest tracts of protected land in the sub-Himalayan belt, and due to its high species diversity and presence of high-visibility species, has been described as a "biodiversity hotspot".^[2]

The park is located in the Indomalaya ecozone, and the dominant biomes of the region are Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests of the Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome and a frequently flooded variant of the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands of the Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome.

Local legend tells about a village girl named Ranga and a young man named Kazi from Karbi Anglong who fell in love. Their parents would not give consent to the affair, so the couple continued to meet each other in the forest. One day, they went into the forest and never returned. Since that day, the people call the forest Kaziranga.^[3]

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Fauna 4 Flora 5 Administration 6 Conservation Management 7 Visitor activities 8 Transport 9 In popular culture 10 See also 11 Notes 12 Further information 13 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of Kaziranga National Park

The setting up of Kaziranga as a protected area dates back to 1905, when Mary Victoria Leiter, the wife of the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, visited the Kaziranga area.^[4] After failing to spot a rhinoceros which the area was renowned for, she persuaded her husband to take urgent measures to protect the dwindling species.^[5] The next year, on June 1, 1905, the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was created with an area of 232 km² (90 mi²).^[6] Over the next three years, the park area was extended by 152 km² (59 mi²) up to the banks of the River Brahmaputra.^[7] In 1908, Kaziranga was upgraded to a Reserve forest. In 1916, it was converted to a game sanctuary – The Kaziranga Game Sanctuary, and remained so till 1938, when hunting was abolished and visitors were permitted to enter the park.^[7]

In 1950, P D Stracey, the conservator of forests renamed the Kaziranga Game Sanctuary as the Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary to get rid of its hunting connotations. In 1954, the government of Assam passed the Assam (Rhinoceros) Bill which imposed heavy penalties for rhinoceros poaching.^[7] In 1968, the state government passed "The Assam National Park Act of 1968" declaring Kaziranga as a designated National Park.^[7] On February 11, 1974, the 430 km² (166 mi²) park was given official status.^[7]. In 1985, Kaziranga was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for having some of India's most endangered animals, including the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses.^[8]

Kaziranga has witnessed several natural and man-made calamities in recent decades. Flooding due to the Brahmaputra distending its banks in 1973, 1988, 1996, and 1998, have led to significant losses in animal life.^[9] Encroachment by humans along the periphery has also led to a diminished forest cover, leading to a loss of habitat.^[10] An ongoing separatist movement in Assam by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has crippled the economy of the region. Kaziranga though, has remained unaffected by it, and reports of insurgents protecting the animals, and in extreme cases killing poachers, have been reported since the 1980s.^[5] The park celebrated its centenary with much fanfare in 2005, inviting descendants of Lord Curzon for the celebrations, and combining the celebrations with the annual Kaziranga Elephant Festival.^[5]

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga is located between latitudes 26°30' N and 26°45' N, and longitudes 93°08' E to 93°36' E within two districts in the Indian state of Assam – the Kaliabor subdivision of Nagaon district and the Bokakhat subdivision of Golaghat district.^[8]

It is approximately 40 km (25 mi) in length from east to west, and 13 km (8 mi) in breadth from north to south.^[11] The park area is circumscribed by the Brahmaputra, which forms the northern and eastern boundary, and the Mora Diphlu which forms the southern periphery. Other notable rivers within the park are the Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri.^[10] Kaziranga covers an area of 378 km² (146 mi²), with approximately 5,114 km² (1,975 mi²) lost to erosion in recent years.^[11] Elevation ranges from 40 m (131 ft) to 80 m (262 ft).^[8]

Kaziranga is composed of flat expanses of fertile, alluvial soil formed by erosion and silt deposition by the Brahmaputra.^[8] Landscape consists of exposed sandbars, riverine flood-formed lakes known as beels (which make up 5% of the surface area),^[8] and elevated regions known as chapories where animals shelter during floods. Many artificial chapories have been built with the help of the Indian Army for the animals' safety.^[12][13]

The park experiences three seasons, summer, monsoon, and winter. The winter season, between November to February is mild and dry with a mean high of 25 °C (77 °F) and low of 5 °C (41 °F).^[8] During this season, beels and nallahs (water channels) dry up. To prevent a forest fire, park officials set ablaze the dried-up grasses in controlled phases.^[14] The summer season between March and May is hot, with temperatures reaching a high of 37 °C (99 °F).^[8] During this season, animals are usually found near water bodies.^[14] The rainy monsoon season lasts from June to September and is responsible for most of Kaziranga's annual rainfall of 2,220 mm (87 in).^[8] Rising water levels of the Brahmaputra results in almost three-fourths of the western region of the park submerged during the peak months of July and August. The flooding sees most animals migrating to elevated and forested regions outside the south of the park such as the Mikir hills.^[8]

See also: Climate of Kaziranga National Park

[edit] Fauna

Main article: Fauna of Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga contains significant breeding populations of 35 mammalian species,^[15] of which 15 are threatened as per the IUCN Red List.^[8] The region is internationally renowned for having the world's largest population of the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) (1,855),^[16][8] Asiatic Wild Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) (1,666),^[17] and Eastern Swamp Deer (Cervus duvauceli ranjit singhi) (468).^[18] Significant populations of large herbivores include elephants (1,940),^[19] gaur (30), and sambar (58). Smaller herbivores include the Indian Muntjac, wild boar, and hog deer.^[20][8]

Kaziranga has the distinction of being one of the few breeding areas outside Africa for large cats such as the Royal Bengal Tiger and the Indian Leopard.^[15] With a population of 86 in 2000, Kaziranga has a density of one tiger per five square kilometres, the highest in the world. It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006.^[16] Other felids include the Jungle Cat, Fishing Cat, and Leopard Cat.^[15]

Other small mammals include the rare Hispid Hare, Indian Gray Mongoose, Small Indian Mongoose, Large Indian Civet, Small Indian Civet, Bengal Fox, Golden Jackal, Sloth Bear, Chinese Pangolin, Indian Pangolin, Hog Badger, Chinese Ferret Badger, and Particolored flying squirrel.^[8][15][21]

The park has India's second largest population of primates after the Western Ghats region.^{[citations needed]} Prominent among them are, Assamese Macaque, Capped Langur, Golden Langur, and the only ape found in India – the Hoolock Gibbon.^[21][15][8] Kaziranga's rivers are also home to the endangered Ganges Dolphin.^[8]

Kaziranga has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International for the conservation of the avifaunal species.^[22] Avifauna includes a variety of migratory birds, predators, and game birds. Migratory birds from Central Asia that arrive here during winter on include geese (Lesser White-fronted Goose), ducks (Ferruginous Pochard, Baer's Pochard), and storks (Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black-necked Stork, Asian Openbill).^[23] Riverine birds include kingfishers (Blyth's Kingfisher), herons (White-bellied Heron), pelicans (Dalmatian Pelican, Spot-billed Pelican), shanks (Spotted Greenshank), and terns (Black-bellied Tern).^[23]

Birds of prey include the rare Eastern Eastern Imperial Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, and the Lesser Kestrel.^[23] Kaziranga was once home to seven species of vulture.^[24] The vulture population was almost exterminated after consuming animal carcasses containing the veterinary drug Diclofenac.^[24] Of the local vulture population, only the Indian Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture, and Indian White-rumped Vulture have survived.^[24] Game birds include partridges (Swamp Francolin), bustards (Bengal Florican), and pigeons (Pale-capped Pigeon).^[23] Other important families of birds inhabiting Kaziranga include hornbills (Great Indian Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill), Old World babblers (Jerdon's Babbler, Marsh Babbler), and weaver birds (the common Baya Weaver and the threatened Finn's Weaver), thrushes (Hodgson's Bushchat), Old World warblers (Bristled Grassbird). Other threatened species include Black-breasted Parrotbill and the Rufous-vented Prinia.^[23]

Two of the largest snakes in the world (the Reticulated Python and the Rock Python) as well as the longest venomous snake in the world (the King Cobra) inhabit the park. Other snakes found here include the Indian Cobra, Russell's Viper, Common Krait, and the Monocled Cobra.^[25] Monitor lizard species found here include the Bengal monitor, Water Monitor.^[25] Other reptiles include fifteen species of turtle such as the endemic Assam Roofed Turtle, and one species of tortoise, the Brown Tortoise.^[25] 42 species of fish are found in the area including the Tetraodon.^[26]

See also: List of mammals in Kaziranga National Park, List of reptiles in Kaziranga National Park, and List of fishes in Kaziranga National Park

[edit] Flora

Four main types of vegetation types exist in the park;^[27] which are the alluvial inundated grasslands, alluvial savanna woodlands, tropical moist mixed deciduous forests and tropical semi-evergreen forests. Based on Landsat data for 1986, coverage by different vegetation is as follows: tall grasses 41%, short grasses 11%, open jungle 29%, swamps 4%, rivers and water bodies 8%, and sand 6%.^[28]

Grasslands dominate the western reaches of the park which are typically at a lower altitude than the eastern end, with tall elephant grass on the higher ground while the short grasses cover the lower grounds surrounding the bheels or flood created ponds.^[8] Annual flooding, grazing by herbivores and controlled burning maintains and fertilizes the grasslands and reeds. The common tall grasses are sugarcanes (Saccharum spontaneum, Saccharum naranga), Imperata cylindrica, Erianthus spp., Arundo donax and the Common Reed (Phragmites karka). Numerous forbs are present along with the grasses. Amidst the grasses, providing cover and shade are scattered trees —- dominant species include Careya arborea, Emblica officinalis, the cotton tree or Bombax ceiba (in savanna woodlands), and Dillenia indica (in inundated grasslands).^[8]

Impenetrable evergreen forests, near Kanchanjhuri, Panbari and Tamulipathar blocks, contain trees such as Aphanamixis polystachya, Talauma hodgsonii, Dillenia indica, Garcinia tinctoria, Ficus rumphii, Cinnamomum bejolghota, and species of Syzygium. Tropical semi-evergreen forests are present near Baguri, Bimali and Haldibari. Common trees and shrubs are Albizia procera, Duabanga grandiflora, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Crateva unilocularis, Sterculia urens, Grewia serrulata, Mallotus philippensis, Bridelia retusa, Aphania rubra, Leea indica and Leea umbraculifera.^[29]

There are many different aquatic flora in the lakes, ponds and along the river shores. The invasive species Water Hyacinth is very common, often choking up open water, but is cleared during destructive floods.^[8] Another invasive species, Mimosa invisa of the Mimosa genus which is toxic to herbivores, was cleared by Kaziranga staff, with help from the Wildlife Trust of India in 2005.^[30]

[edit] Administration

Main article: Governance of Kaziranga National Park

Wildlife wing of Forest department, Government of Assam is mainly responsible for the administration and management of Kaziranga, with administrative aid from Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Kaziranga National Park receives funds from Central and State Government under various Plan and Non-Plan Budgets.^[14] The park also receives fund under the Project Elephant from the Central Government. US$ 100,000 was granted in 1997 and 1998 under Technical Co-operation for Security Reinforcement scheme from the World Heritage Fund.^[13] The park also receives minor monetary help from various national and international NGOs.

The administrative head quarter of the park is located at Bokakhat.^[10] A Conservator level officer acts as the Director and a Divisional Forest Officer as the administrative chief executive of the park, assisted by two Assistant Conservator of Forests. Four range forest officers head four park ranges at Ghorakati (Burapahar Range), Baguri (Baguri Range), Kohora (Central Range) and Agoratoli (Eastern Range) respectively. The park is further divided into beats (headed by a forester) and sub beats (headed by forest guard) for administrative purposes.^[10]

There are three dirt tracks inside the park corresponding to the three forest ranges for patrolling and tourists conveyance. The Central or Kaziranga range with Kohora as the entry point covers the Daglang and Foliomari area. Some part of this range is the Core Zone of the Tiger Reserve or a Strict Nature Reserve, where casual visitors are not permitted. The Western range has Baguri as the entry point and covers the Monabeel, Bimoli, Kanchanjuri areas. This range is preferred for seeing big game like rhinos and water buffaloes. The Eastern range with Agortoli as the entry point covers Sohola and Rangamatia and is preferred for birding.

[edit] Conservation Management

Main article: Conservation Management of Kaziranga National Park

For protection of the wildlife, the legislative status for Kaziranga National Park represents the "maximum protection under Indian conditions” at national, provincial and municipal levels. A list of 12 acts and constitutional safeguards ranging from the Assam Forest Regulation of 1891 to the Biodiversity Conservation Act of 2002 ensure legal protection to the park.^[13]

A serious conservation problem has been the poaching of Rhinoceros for its horn. Between 1980 and 2005 the park lost around 567 rhinoceros to the poacher. Measures such as maintenance of existing and construction of new poaching camps, patrolling, intelligence gathering and control over the use of firearms around the park have contained poaching to some extent.^[7][10]

The repeated floods cause loss to the natural environment, death of wild animals and damage to the conservation infrastructures.^[14] Flood causes many animals to migrate outside the park towards the Karbi Anglong plateau where they are susceptible to hunting, speeding vehicles and reprisal for crop damage.^[8] To mitigate effect of repeated floods, steps like increasing of patrols, maintenance of existing and acquiring of new speed boats, construction and maintenance of highlands with the help of Indian Army, de-siltation work and removal of water hyacinth in the beels have been taken.^[7] Construction of several corridors and regulation of speed of vehicular traffic to mitigate the number of death of wild animals by speeding vehicles on National Highway-37 are done by the park management.^[31] Still there is a lack of necessary and functional corridors for safe passage of animals.^[31][10]

To prevent illegal grazing of domestic livestock from adjoining villages, spreading of diseases and to maintain genetic distinctness of the wild species, systematic steps like enforcement of legal measures, immunization of the livestock in villages and fencing the sensitive areas of the park are undertaken regularly.^[7] The tea gardens pose a threat through pesticide run-off, pollution of water bodies, and as source of invasive species like Mimosa and wildrose.^[32] The wastes from the petroleum refinery established in 2001 at Numaligarh upstream of the park on the Dhansiri river has created potential pollution problem.^[10][32]

Soil erosion by the Brahmaputra River along the northern boundary of Kaziranga continually reduces total area of the park.^[14] Continuous siltation and growth of water hyacinth in the existing water bodies have posed a big problem on the existence of the wet lands.^[14] Due to activities like increasing the tea garden areas, new settlements, logging and jhum (shifting agriculture), the physical gap between the park and the Karbi Anglong plateau has increased — leading to shortage of suitable habitat for wild animals.^[32][33] To control growth and irradiation of invasive species like Mimosa, research on biological methods for controlling the weeds, manual uprooting and weeding before seed settling are done often.^[7] Grassland management techniques like controlled burning are done annually.^[8]

[edit] Visitor activities

Main article: Tourism in Kaziranga National Park

Wildlife watching, including birding is the main visitor activity in and near the park. Guided tours on elephant back or by Jeep are available. Hiking is prohibited in the park to avoid man - animal conflict. Observation towers are situated at Sohola, Mihimukh, Kathpara, Foliamari and Harmoti for viewing wildlife. The lower Himalayian peaks frame the park's landscape of trees and grasses interspersed with numerous ponds. The park is closed to visitors from mid-April to mid-October due to monsoon rains. Four tourist lodges at Kohora and three tourist lodges inside the park are maintained by the Department of Environment and Forests, Government of Assam. Private resorts are available outside the park borders.^[14]

[edit] Transport

The means of travel inside the park is on the back of trained elephants with mahout guides, or in Jeep or 4WD vehicles. Most rides are booked in advance and depart from the Park Administrative Centre in Kohora. The park has three motorable trails under the jurisdiction of three Ranges — Kohora, Bagori and Agaratoli. These roads are open to light vehicles from November to mid May. Visitors are guided through these roads by the staff of the park. The visitors are allowed to take in their own vehicles; however no visitor is allowed to enter the park without an accompanying representative of the forest department.

The main gate for Kaziranga, at Kohora is on the NH-37. Assam State Transport Corporation and private buses stop here on their way to and from Guwahati, Tezpur and Upper Assam. The park is a 4 hour drive from Guwahati (217 kilometres (135 mi)) on the NH-37 and 1.5 hrs from Jorhat (97 kilometres (60 mi)). Both these cities are well connected to the park by buses and taxies. Furkating (75 kilometres (47 mi) away) is the nearest railway station, other important stations are Jorhat and Guwahati stations. The nearest airports are Jorhat Airport at Rowriah (97 kilometres (60 mi) away), Tezpur Airport at Salonibari (approx 100 kilometres (62 mi) away) and Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati (approx. 217 kilometres (135 mi) away). The nearest town from the park is Bokakhat (23 kilometres (14 mi) away) and the nearest cities are Jorhat and Guwahati.

[edit] In popular culture

Kaziranga has been the theme of and has been mentioned in several books, documentaries, and songs. The park first came to the limelight after Robin Banerjee's (a Bengali doctor turned photographer and filmmaker) documentary, titled Kaziranga was aired on Berlin television in 1961 and became a runaway success. Banerjee's career as a nature filmmaker took off — he went on to make 32 documentaries, and received the Padma Shree in 1971.^[34][35][36]

"Kaziranga, Assam" was a poem written by American science fiction and fantasy author L. Sprague de Camp about the park. It was first published in 1970 in Demons and Dinosaurs, a poetry collection. The poem was reprinted as Kaziranga in Years in the Making: the Time-Travel Stories of L. Sprague de Camp in 2005.^[37]

Arup Dutta wrote Kaziranga Trail, a children's storybook set in the national park with pictures by Jagdish Josh (Children's Book Trust, 1979). The book, winning the Shankar's Award, tells a story about rhinoceros poaching.^[38] The famous Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika refers to Kaziranga in one of his songs.^[18]

The BBC conservationist and travel writer Mark Shand authored the book and the corresponding BBC documentary Queen of the Elephants, based on the life of the first female mahout in recent times — Parbati Barua of Kaziranga. The book went on to win the 1996 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award and the Prix Litteraire d'Amis, providing free publicity simultaneously to the profession of mahouts, and to Kaziranga.^[39]

[edit] See also

• Climate of Kaziranga National Park
• National Parks of India
• Biodiversity of Assam
• Manas National Park

[edit] Notes

[edit] Further information

Find more information on Kaziranga National Park by searching Wikipedia's sister projects
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• Barthakur, Barthakur; Bittu Sahgal (2005). The Kaziranga Inheritance. Mumbai: Sanctuary Asia. 
• Choudhury, Anwaruddin (2000). The Birds of Assam. Guwahati: Gibbon Books and World Wide Fund for Nature. 
• Choudhury, Anwaruddin (2003). Birds of Kaziranga National Park: A checklist. Guwahati: Gibbon Books and The Rhino Foundation for Nature in NE India. 
• Choudhury, Anwaruddin (2004). Kaziranga Wildlife in Assam. India: Rupa & Co. 
• Dutta, Arup Kumar (1991). Unicornis: The Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros. New Delhi: Konark Publication. 
• Gee, E.P. (1964). The Wild Life of India. London: Collins. 
• Jaws of Death — a 2005 documentary by Gautam Saikia about Kaziranga animals being hit by vehicular traffic while crossing National Highway 37, winner of the Vatavaran Award.
• Oberai, C.P.; B.S. Bonal (2002). Kaziranga: The Rhino Land. New Delhi: B.R. Publishing. 

[edit] External links

• Go to Kaziranga
• Kaziranga National Park in UNESCO List
• Kaziranga Centenary 1905-2005
• World Conservation Monitoring Centre
• Department of Environment and Forests (Government of Assam) - Kaziranga
• Kaziranga National Park Picture Gallery
• Kaziranga National Park travel guide from Wikitravel

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