Kaziranga

Kaziranga is one of the largest Protected Areas in India and one of the most significant conserved forest areas on the earth. From the time it was declared as a Proposed Reserve Forest for the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), it has become an exceptional model in conservation, also providing an ideal habitat for numerous other threatened species. Kaziranga is an outstanding example of the ongoing eco-biological processes in the evolution and development of the flood plain ecosystem and its plant and animal communities. It is a symbol for the dedicated commitment of the people who work ceaselessly to protect and preserve this richly diverse biological heritage. Kaziranga has justly earned its place as the flag bearer among all the wildlife conservation efforts across the globe. Into its hundredth year of existence, the tradition continues.

There are several natural scenic areas adjacent to Kaziranga National Park. The Reserved Forests like Panbari, Bagser, Deusur, Kukurakata Hill, Bhomoraguri and hill districts like Karbi Anglong are known for the picturesque forest wealth, abundant wildlife and splendor of the enchanting beauty of the hills. Not to mention the historical and cultural significance of these areas. There is therefore a lot of potential for developing these areas around Kaziranga as tourist destination.

The Government of Assam, has adapted a new Forest Policy which recognizes nature as one of the thrust areas for income and employment generation. The Department of Environment & Forests, Government of Assam is initiating the groundwork for development of nature-tourism centered on the conservation heritage at Kaziranga. The emphasis is on developing infrastructure and streamlining institutional arrangements to give a boost to tourism. With this view it is encouraging participation of the corporate houses to invest in this sector.

While the Govt. is trying to attract investment, it also understands the fact that without local participation and creating stockholders that include the fringe villagers, development in nature-tourism cannot be made. And perhaps including local participation in such projects could also be one of the means to resolve the human-wildlife conflict.

The Kaziranga National Park
The Kaziranga National Park supports a rich and varied bird life. In addition to numerous species of resident birds it serves as the winter visiting ground to many migratory birds. Altogether 478 species of birds, (Barua and Sharma, 1999) both migratory and resident, have been identified. The list included 25 globally threatened and 21 near threatened species. The park has also been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International for the conservation of the avifaunal species.

Weather
Overall the climate is tropical but summer temperatures can go as high as 37º Celsius while winter temperatures drop to 5°Celsius.
Rainfall: The mean annual rainfall is about 2220 mm with the maximum rain occurring during the months of June to September

Getting There
By Air: Guwahati (239 km), Jorhat (96 km)

By Rail: Guwahati, Furkating (75 km)

By Road: National Highway 37

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