The Land of the Great One Horned Rhinoceros

Antara Sharma
Apr 11, 2017
2 min read

Kaziranga, the land of the big fives and most visited for a glimpse of the endangered great one horned rhinoceros. For me it is a National Park just around the corner, two hours drive from home - a great drive and stunning photographs.

Closest Airport: Jorhat

Accommodation: Lots of resorts are available specially in the Kohora and Bagori area to suit all budget needs.

Safari Timings: 7 AM to 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Park Charges: Rs. 50/- (Per Indian Individual) & Rs. 500/- (Foreigners)

Jeep Charges: Rs. 1700 for the vehicle

Camera Charges: Rs. 100 per camera

The Kaziranga landscape is crafted by the the erosion and silt deposition by the mighty river Brahmaputra, thereby creating the chaporis ar the high grounds and the beels or flood formed lakes. Two rivers the Dipholu and Mora Dhansiri add more grandeur to the most picturesque wildlife parks of India. This national park sees yearly floods during the monsoon season due to which the park is closed for the visitors from May till September. The floods leads to considerable loss of animal life. The nearby villagers and the forest officials try their best to minimize the loss of life and their efforts needs to be really appreciated.

Kaziranga is comprised of four ranges - Kahora or the Central zone, Bagori or the the Western range, Agoratoli or the eastern range and the Burapahar or Ghorakati range. All entries to the national park are routed through the three range headquarters at Kohora, Bagori and Agoratoli. Each of these ranges provide a unique experience. Kohora is famous for the Assam roofed turtle, sunbathing in the Difolu river flowing through the range. Bagori is the best place for Rhino sighting. The evening safari is best for it and you can get a chance to meet the Rhinos up close, grazing in the midst of the Elephant grass. Agoratoli with it's highest concentration of beels or the riverine flood-formed lakes, is a paradise for the migratory birds, which fly to Kaziranga during the winter season mostly from Siberia. Burapahar or Ghorakati range is the least visited range but it offers the travelers a breathtaking view of the landscapes with the hills in the backdrop.

Kaziranga is the home of around 35 mammal species. The park prides itself of being home to the world's largest population of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros, wild Asiatic water buffalo and eastern swamp deer. It also has a significant population of the asiatic elephants, the highest density of tigers, bild boars, sambar deer, hog deer to name a few.

Kaziranga is also listed as one of the Important Bird Areas. has been identified by Birdlife International as an Important Bird Area.It is home to a variety of migratory birds, water birds, predators, scavengers, and game birds. Kaziranga's rivers are also home to the endangered Asiatic Dolphins and if lucky you could spot them on your next Kaziranga Safari.