Located on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River in the northeastern Indian State of Assam, Kaziranga National Park is where Rudyard Kipling set his famous classic tale, The Jungle Book. Spread over 430 square kilometers, Kaziranga is also the place where one of the last creatures of the prehistoric age, the great one-horned rhinoceros, still lives. The park was classified as a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

The greatest wildlife sanctuary

Assam, the land of hills and valleys, the land of the great river Brahmaputra, the land of the Mother Goddess Kamakya has long been India’s best kept secret. It is a land where you’ll find flowers that are exquisitely beautiful, proud tribes known for their hospitality, and animals that are extremely rare.

The Kingdom of Assam was founded in the 13th century by the Ahoms, an Asian people from Burma. Much of the area is covered with dense tropical forests of bamboo and at higher altitudes evergreens. Tea is cultivated in the hilly regions and the state accounts for 15 percent of the tea grown in the world. Assam is bordered by other little known states like Nagaland in the east, and Manipur and Mizoram to the south. It also shares borders with the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and the Republic of Bangladesh. The pearl of Assam’s superb and bewitching nature is a wildlife sanctuary whose name became known all over the world as the greatest conservation success story of the 20th century.

The landscape of forest, tall elephant grass and shallow pools of water in Kaziranga National Park contains fifteen species of India’s Threatened mammals, including the unique one-horned rhinoceros. With a population of approximately 1,250, the park contains the largest concentration of the rhinos on the Indian subcontinent. Just imagine more than two tons of frightening muscle and tank-like belligerence all wrapped up in an armor-plated hide decorated with a 60 centimeter long horn! Once a common sight in the wetlands of northeast India, the rhino was hunted to the point of near extinction in 1908 when a mere dozen of rhinos remained. Fortunately, conservationists recognized the seriousness of its plight and its number began to increase thanks to an efficient preservation scheme.

Paradise for animals

Other endangered animals found in Kaziranga include the Indian elephant [which numbers about 1,100], the Indian bison, the leopard, the sloth bear, the Ganges dolphin, as well as the sambar deer, the hog deer and swamp deer. Thousands of migratory birds from as far away as Siberia come to the park during the winter season. Among them are grey pelican, the black-necked stork, the fish eagle and the great hornbill. Reptiles include water monitors, Indian pythons, and king cobras. The Royal Bengal tiger, the uncontested king of the jungle and one of the world’s most beautiful animals, rules over this veritable Noah’s Arc.

The vast open country makes Kaziranga National Park very accessible and wildlife viewing quite enjoyable. Here one can leave in the early morning hours to go in search of herds of wild elephants and the rare and impressive rhino. Since Kaziranga is easily approachable, it provides the chance to see animals in their natural setting at close range. An elephant ride allows you to get very close to the wild beasts and makes you feel at one with nature. Jeep safaris are also available, and it is advised during these rides to be most wary of the short-tempered and dangerous Indian bison. These animals occasionally charge like rhinos and mean business when they come at you. And, if you are lucky, you may get a chance to spot a tiger. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were nearly 100,000 wild tigers in the world. Today, however, only approximately 5,000 tigers currently exist in the wild on our planet. Indian is home to 60 percent of the world’s tigers. Tigers are thriving in Kaziranga due to the stringent protection measures. Tigers and leopards are easily concealed because of their markings which make them virtually invisible in the tall grass and dark jungle. Experienced guides can read the signs and pug marks to lead visitors within viewing range.

The tribal princess’s spirit

During the heavy monsoon season, elephants and other animals migrate southwards to the Mikir Hills to avoid the annual flooding of the park. This exodus leaves many animals vulnerable to hunting and reprisals from local villagers due to crop damage. The highest recorded flooding occurred in 1998, which caused the death of 38 rhinoceros, 1,050 deer, three elephant calved and two tigers. Although these floods are unavoidable, nothing justifies the slaughtering of rhinos for its horn, or elephants for their ivory, or tigers for their pelt. The blame lies not only with poachers, exporters and retailers, but also with the buyers. Do ivory carvings, stuffed leopards and bear skin rugs really qualify as status symbols? Places like Kaziranga make one aware of the awesome responsibility of protecting and conserving our unique wildlife.

Kaziranga National Park celebrated its centenary last February 2005. Lord Ravensdale, grandson of the British Viceroy who first took measures to save the rhino in 1904, attended the celebrations. They rode on one of the fifty elephants adorned in red and blue to mark the occasion. Lady Verity Ravensdale was delighted to see five rhinos during an elephant ride in the morning. Among the others present on the occasion was Mark Shand, a wildlife lover and elephant expert, who also happens to be the brother of Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall and now wife of Prince Charles.

Kazir, the legendary tribal princess who gave her name to the park, was said to be able to speak to and tame any wild creature. It is also said that her soul still wanders the early morning misty banks of the Brahmaputra River. A visit to Kaziranga National Park will enable you to capture this spirit of harmony between man and his environment.