Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (Timings, Entry Fee, Safari Online Booking & How to Reach)
India presents a rich and exceptional combination of flora and fauna. There are umpteen numbers of national parks, tiger reserves in India, each of them promising a memorable time to not just nature lovers but to each and every one. One of the popular tiger reserves in not just Assam but in India is Kaziranga Tiger Reserve.
The Kaziranga Tiger Reserve came into being in the year of 1905 when the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was created in an area of 232 sq. km. Later in 1916, it was converted into a game sanctuary which was named as Kaziranga Game Sanctuary. However, in 1950, it was again renamed as Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary by P. D. Stracey, the forest conservationist. This was primarily done to get away with any relation to the game of hunting.
Later in the year of 1974, after passing the ‘The Assam National Park Act of 1968’, the state government of Assam declared the Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary as the designated national park which was spread across an area of 430 sq. km. And in the year of 1985, UNESCO declared Kaziranga a World Heritage Site because of its unique natural environment.
Located in the Golaghat and Nagaon district of Assam, on the banks of River Brahmaputra, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve has been quite popular because of its rich flora and fauna along with rare opportunities to have close look at the tigers.
Fauna @ Kaziranga Tiger Reserve
In Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, tourists can spot wide range of mammals and reptiles. Out of all, there are about 15 species of mammals that are endangered. Apart from Royal Bengal Tiger, the kaziranga is also known for one horned rhinoceros. Some of the commonly spotted animals here are wild buffalo, Indian elephant, Indian wild boar, eastern mole, pangolin, Indian gaur, swamp deer, sambar, barking deer, white browed gibbon, hog deer, capped langur or leaf monkey, rhesus macaque, Assamese macaque, leopard, sloth bear, Indian porcupine, large Indian civet, small Indian civet, Indian gray mongoose, bengal fox, golden jackal , etc.
There are umpteen numbers of snakes, lizards and turtles and tortoise along with crocodiles at the Kaziranga. Two of the largest snakes in the world, the Reticulated Python and Rock Python along with the King Cobra can be spotted here. Apart from various species of snakes, almost fifteen species of turtle and around 42 species of fish are inhabited in this area.
Kaziranga national park is also a good place for activities like bird watching. Some of the avian creatures that can be spotted here are the Crested Serpent Eagle, Palla’s Fishing Eagle and Grey Headed Fishing Eagle, Great Adjutant Stork, Crane, Bengal Florican, Bar-Headed Goose, Whistling Teal, Pelican, etc.
Flora @ Kaziranga Tiger Reserve
The reserve boasts of rich flora as well. It is consisted of three prominent kinds of vegetation. These are tropical wet evergreen forests, tropical semi-evergreen forests and alluvial inundated grasslands. Presence of umpteen numbers of water lilies, water hyacinth and lotus add on to the beauty of the place.
Best time to visit Kaziranga Tiger Reserve
The best time to visit Kaziranga Tiger Reserve is during the months of November and March.
Reaching Kaziranga Tiger Reserve
- By Air: The nearest airport to the reserve is Jorhat which is at a distance of 97 km. Near-by major airport is Guwahati Airport which is about 220 km away. Another nearest airport is in Tezpur which has frequent flights between Kolkata to Tezpur.
- By Rail: The nearest major railhead is Guwahati. There are umpteen numbers of trains connecting Guwahati to the rest of the country. One can hire a taxi or take a bus from the city to the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve.
- By Road: There are many Government buses running from cities like Guwahati, Tezpur, etc. to the park. If interested one can take their private vehicle or hire a taxi.
Accommodation @ Kaziranga Tiger Reserve
For accommodation, lodges from forest departments are available. Lodges such as Arayan Lodge, Bonani Lodge, Bonoshree Lodge, Kunjaban Lodge, etc. presents decent and comfortable staying opportunities amidst best of natural settings.