When one mentions Kaziranga, thoughts of the One-horned Indian Rhino roaming around verdant forests beside marshes with tall grass hugging the Brahmaputra immediately come into mind.
The Kaziranga National Park (KNP) is located in Assam between Nagaon and Golaghat districts. It is approximately 40 km long and 13 km wide, crisscrossed with rivers such as Diphlu, Mora Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri, along alluvial flood plains with wetlands called Beels and elevated flats called “chapories”, where animals take refuge during monsoon when the Brahmaputra breaks banks.
Mikir
Hills to the south of KNP rises up to 1220 meters, while average elevation is 40-80
m. The park is in the Indomalaya ecozone along the Brahmaputra valley where
broadleaf and semi-evergreen forests are predominantly seen with tropical
savannah type grasslands and shrubs.
KNP has an interesting history. When the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon’s wife visited in 1904, she was disappointed at not seeing any of the famous Indian Rhinos, which prompted him to declare the area as a reserve forest. In 1916 it was re-designated as the Kaziranga Game Sanctuary and in 1974, 430 sq km of the protected area (PA) became a national park. It was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984.
The KNP is a biodiversity hotspot region as it has a notable number of endangered and critically endangered species of flora and fauna like the Asian elephants, Indian rhinos, swamp deer, Asiatic water buffaloes and the lesser-known Gangetic river dolphins in the Brahmaputra river.
The landscape is mostly enriched with the four types of vegetation which make this amazing forest stand apart from many other forests in India. The flora of the Kaziranga primarily consists of alluvial savanna woodlands, alluvial inundated grasslands, tropical moist mixed deciduous forests, and tropical semi-evergreen forests.
The PA was declared as a Tiger Reserve in 2006 and has one of the highest densities of big cats anywhere in Assam. KNP is also named as an Important Birding Area (IBA) by Birdlife International, as it plays host to many migratory birds.
Being a biodiversity hotspot, and a single location where such enigmatic species such as the tiger and the rhino exist, Kaziranga has found huge attention worldwide. At the same time, the park faces a number of challenges like poaching of rhinos for their horns. Local cane, elephant grass, bamboos and woody trees are sought after by animals and also humans. Human activities from villages and tea plantations like water run-off with pesticides pollute the environment. There is also the threat of alien plant species invading the park.
The state forest department has set up many anti-poaching camps, increased patrols on land and water and set up watchtowers. Annually the grass in and around the park is set afire to encourage new growth and also curb invasive species. The park also conducts environmental awareness and public education activities with educational institutions. However, there is a need for concerted efforts for a sustained ecosystem especially when Kaziranga is recognised as a World Heritage Site.
India’s Endangered looked at some of the most threatened and rare species of animals found in Kaziranga National Park whose protection is of uttermost importance. Scroll through the slides below to know more…
The Indian rhino is depicted on the Indus Valley Civilization
seals, reflecting its historical distribution. Presently this species is confined to some locations in Assam, West Bengal and western parts of Uttar Pradesh. KNP has a population of 2,413 animals according to a 2018 census. Image source
Also Read: The Women Who Live Alongside Rhinos in India
This wild bovine is likely ancestors of the domestic water buffaloes that we see. There could be 1,500 individuals in Kaziranga almost 70 per cent of the world population. But there are scattered populations elsewhere in NE region. Image source
According to a recent census method employed by the Wildlife Conservation Society India and the Assam Forest Department, there are 908 herd adults, 228 adult males and 610 juveniles in Kaziranga.
Also Read: How Bees, Oranges and Pepper are saving Wild Elephants
This is an apex predator preying on ungulates such as spotted deer, sambar, wild pigs etc. KNP holds a sizable number of these big cats. In recent times there has
been an increase from 83 to 104 tigers. Image source
Also Read: India's Tiger Numbers are Rising
Barasingha is one of the prey species of the tiger. Census conducted in 2018 shows that there are about 907 animals. They are distributed in various blocks in the park and feed on vegetation associated with wetlands. Image source
The leopard is found in Kaziranga, but not very easy to spot. With tigers roaming the landscape, the leopards make sure that they do not come in the vicinity. Leopards are one of the most adaptive cats and might remain hidden even if right in front of your eyes!
These wild cats are only found in the national parks of Northeast India. They are extremely shy, nocturnal, and tree-dwelling species.
Also Read: 10 Facts About the Clouded Leopard
These are very rare group of primates which are found scattered in the park as well as neighboring state of Arunachal Pradesh. They move about by using their long forelimbs to swing among branches. This locomotion is called brachiation. Image Source
Also Read: Interesting Facts About India's Only Apes - Hoolock Gibbons
This is a primitive nocturnal primate that hunts insects and raids nests for eggs. It also feeds on fruits and gum or sap of trees. It is arboreal, and rarely seen on the ground. Not many studies have been conducted on this rare primate. Image Source
Also Read: Soldier Saves Bengal Slow Loris from Godman
STATUS: Critically Endangered POPULATION: Not Known
Both the Indian and the Chinese Pangolin are found in the park. However, both face serious threat from poaching. Despite being listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN and being protected by CITES, poaching continues to be the main cause of their decline in numbers. Image Source
Also Read: Comic - A Pangolin's Life
The river dolphin is the “National Aquatic Mammal” and can be seen in the Brahmaputra and Ganges river system. It feeds on fish and shrimps. Though eyesight of the mammal is weak, it easily locates prey and moves by means of echo location.Image Source
Also Read: 13 Facts to Know About the Gangetic River Dolphin
This bird lives in the swamps but seldom in water. It's specialised habitat is the terai region of Northern India. The Brahmaputra floodplains of Assam are an ideal habitat. Image Source
Also called Bengal bustard, is a bustard species native to the Indian subcontinent, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In Assam, there are about 180-220 Bengal Floricans, mainly in Manas, Kaziranga, Orang, and Dibru Saikhowa National Parks. Image Source
Also Read: Critically Endangered Bengal Florican Seen in Dhudhwa
Only six breeding sites of this bird are currently known, holding 30-40 pairs, and the majority of birds are concentrated at fewer than five sites during winter, mainly in central China. In India, it is known to be found in KNP, Keoladeo National Park and Ajan Bande, and Khangchendzonga National Park and Biosphere Reserve. Image Source
Also known locally as the Hargila, it is one of the most endangered storks in the world. Breeding population is known in Kaziranga, but the population of the bird is constantly decreasing.
Also Read: Helping the hargila-How Assam successfully bred the Rare Stork
It is one of the largest members of the hornbill family, found in the Indian subcontinent and South east Asia. The Himalayan region birds are much larger in size than those found in the Nilgiri region of India. Image Source
There are 17 species of freshwater turtles reported from Kaziranga National Park. This is mainily because of the fertile, drainage basin of the Brahmpatura. Some of the rarest include,
Black soft-shelled turtles (Extinct in the Wild)
Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle (Endangered)
Assam-roofed turtle (Endangered)
Keeled Box turtle (Endangered)
Asian Forest Tortoise (Endangered) Source
Coming from a background of life science and environmental education (EE), E. K. Nareshwar worked in Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad and associated with the Sundarvan Nature Discovery Centre, a CZA recoganised reptile park for more than 18 years. He has contributed to a number of EE materials, conducted research on sea turtles in Gulf of Kutch and was also a member of the IUCN/ Species Specialist Group. He has been involved in projects connected with ecotourism, sustainable agriculture and climate action.
