Kaziranga National Park lies partly in Golaghat district and partly in Nagaon district of Assam. It is one of the oldest parks of India, covering an area of 430 square kilometres along the Brahmaputra river on the north and Karbi Anglong hills on the south. Due to its unique natural environment Kaziranga National Park was declared as a national park in 1974 and subsequently it was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
The most famed animal of this park is the One horned Rhinoceros and this park is supposed to host almost two-thirds of this endangered species. The park is also home to a large number of tigers, elephants, wild buffaloes, bears and numerous species of birds. The landscape of Kaziranga consists of sheer forests, tall elephant grass and large water pools.
The Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family. Listed as a vulnerable species, the large mammal is primarily found in parts of north-eastern India and in protected areas in the Terai of Nepal, where populations are confined to the riverine grasslands in the foothills of the Himalayas.
These Rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic Plain but excessive hunting reduced their natural habitat drastically. Today, about 3,000 Rhinos live in the wild, 2000 of which are found in Assam’s Kaziranga alone.
Reptiles in Kaziranga National Park are Snakes,Lizards,Turtles/Tortoises and Crocodiles.The swamps of Kaziranga National Park have an abundant cover of water lilies, water hyacinth and lotus, providing a beautiful look to the surroundings of the park. Rattan Cane, which is a type of climbing palm, also adds to the natural beauty of Kaziranga National Park.
Common birds found here are the Lesser White-fronted Goose, Ferruginous Duck, Baer's Pochard, Lesser and Greater Adjutant Storks, Black-necked Stork, and Asian Openbill which migrate from Central Asia to the Kaziranga during winter.
The park can be best explored on either a jeep safari or an elephant safari. The sighting of various animals can not be guaranteed but if you join an early morning safari, you are more likely to sight the maximum number of animals.
Quite a few accommodation options are available in and around the Kaziranga National Park. Around four tourist lodges at Kohora and three excellent lodges inside the park are maintained by the Forest Department, Government of Assam.