16

CHAPTER TWO

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK: A BRIEF OVERVIEW

2.1 Assam, the gateway of the north east region of India, is famous all over

the world as the home of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros with which is

almost inextricably linked the name of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP).

The park is known for successful conservation of the great one-horned

rhinoceros. It is also home to a number of threatened wild animals and

migratory birds. KNP has the rare distinction of not only saving the prehistoric

mammal from the verge of extinction but also of increasing its population in a

spectacular manner. About 60 percent of the world population of this species

concentrated in this park. KNP is also the natural habitat of many other wild

animals and a large variety of birds. Kaziranga harbours 479 birds, 42 fish

and 35 mammal species out of which at least 17 species of mammals, 23

species of birds and 10 species of reptiles are in endangered list.

2.2 Etymology of Kaziranga:

Although the etymology of the name Kaziranga is not certain, there exist a

number of possible explanations from local legends and records. According

to one legend regarding how the name Kaziranga came about is that, once

Rudra Singha, the 30th Ahom king on his way to Guwahati stopped over at a

local chieftain Ranjit Phukan’s house for a night halt. During his stay, the king

was highly impressed by the weaving skills of Phukan’s daughter and asked

her to make a jacket of silk for himself. The highly skilled daughter wove the

jacket overnight, much to the delight of the king who described her as a kazi

(expert in work) woman. King Rudra Singha rewarded her and her husband

Rongai with a plot of land nearby. The local people then started referring to

this land as belonging to Kazi and Rongai which was later shortened to

Kazirongai and subsequently to Kaziranga (Gokhale and Kashyap, 2005).

According to another legend, a girl named Ranga from a nearby village and a

youth named Kazi from Karbi-Anglong fell in love. This match was not

acceptable to their families and the couple disappeared into the forest and

17

never to be seen again. Later on the forest was named after them as

Kaziranga.

If legend is to be believed, the word Kaziranga has been derived from the

Karbi language1. The area was full of wild goats which used to track the

areas to the beels and river to drink water and the local Karbi inhabitants of

the area used to come across them very frequently. In Karbi language the

wild goats are referred to as ‘Karjo’ and river and stream as ‘Langso’. The

fused words Karjo- langso over the year got twisted into Kaziranga.

Another legend that is heard around Kaziranga refers to a childless couple

Kazi and Rangai. Madhabdeva, the principal disciple of Srimanta

Sankardeva, the sixteen century saint-scholar, once blessed this childless

couple and asked them to dig a big pond in the region so that their name

would live on. Later the then Ahom king Pratap Singha was passing by the

area when the local chieftain offered him fish. The king, who liked the taste of

the fish, enquired where it came from. Then he was told that it came from the

pond that was dug by Kazi and Rangai. Thus the area where the pond was

located soon came to be known as Kaziranga.

2.3 Historical Background of KNP:

The history of Kaziranga as a protected area can be traced back to 1904,

when Mary Victoria Leiter Curzon, the wife of Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy

of India visited the area. After failing to see a single rhinoceros, for which the

area was renowned, she persuaded her husband to take urgent measures to

protect the dwindling species which he did by initiating planning for their

protection. On 1st June 1905, the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was

created with an area of 232 sq. km. Over the next three years, the park area

was extended by 152 sq. km to the banks of the Brahmaputra River. In 1908,

Kaziranga was designated a Reserve Forest. In 1916, it was converted to a

game sanctuary- ‘The Kaziranga Game Sanctuary’ and remained so till 1938,

when hunting was prohibited and visitors were permitted to enter the park.

The Kaziranga Game Sanctuary was renamed as Kaziranga Wildlife

1 A local tribal language

18

Sanctuary in 1950 by P. D. Stracey, the forest conservationist, in order to rid

the name of hunting connotations. In 1954, the government of Assam passed

the Assam (Rhinoceros) Bill, which imposed heavy penalties for rhinoceros

poaching. In 1968, the state government passed ‘The Assam National Park

Act of 1968’, declaring Kaziranga a designated national park. The 429.93

sq. km park was given official status by the central government on 11th

February 1974. In 1985, Kaziranga National Park was declared a World

Heritage Site by UNESCO for its unique natural environment. The park

celebrated its centenary in 2005. In 2007 KNP has evolved into a Tiger

Reserve.

2.4 Geographical Location of KNP:

The park is located between latitude 26°30 N to 26°45 N and longitude 93°08

E to 93°36 E in the Kaliabor subdivision of the Nagaon district and the

Bokakhat subdivision of the Golaghat district, in the state of Assam, India. It

is roughly 40 kilometres long and 13 kilometres wide, with an area of

378.22 sq. km, having lost around 51.14 sq. km to erosion by the

Brahmaputra River. A total addition of 429 sq. km along the present

boundary of the park has been made and notified with separate national park

status to provide extended habitat for increasing population of wildlife or as a

corridor for safe movement of animals to Karbi Anglong Hills.

The southern border of the park is roughly defined by the Mora Diphlu River.

Further south are the hills of Barail and the Mikir. The National Highway NH-

37 was once the formal southern boundary of the park. The Brahmaputra

River constitutes the dynamically changing Northern boundary of the park.

The other rivers in Kaziranga are Diphlu, Mora Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri.

Kaziranga is mostly flat expanses of fertile alluvial silt (part of the highly fertile

Middle Brahmaputra alluvial flood plains), exposed sandbars, riverine flood-

formed lakes called beels and elevated flats called chapories where animals

shelter during floods. The average altitude of the park ranges from 4040

metres (131 ft) to 80 metres (262 ft), with the Mikir Hills to the south of the

park rising to around 1,220 metres (4,003 ft).

19

MAP OF ASSAM

20

MAP OF KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

21

2.5 Climate of KNP:

KNP experiences three seasons- summer, monsoon and winter. The dry and

windy summer extending approximately from February to May is hot, with

average maximum and minimum temperatures of 37°C (99°F) and 7°C

(45°F), respectively. The humid rainy monsoon season extends from June to

September. During the monsoon, Kaziranga receives mean rainfall of 2,220

millimeters (87 in) brought by the South West monsoon. During the peak

months of July and August, three fourth of the western region of the park is

submerged due to the raising water level of the Brahmaputra. The flood

causes most of the animals to migrate to elevated and forested region

outside the southern border of the park. However, the occasional dry spells

create problem as well, such as food shortage for the wildlife of the park. The

winter, extending from November to February, is mild and dry, with the mean

maximum and minimum being 25°C (77 °F) and 5°C (41 °F), respectively.

During this season, beels and nallahs2 dry up.

2.6 Area of KNP:

The area under KNP has been increasing since 1905 as it was declared as

Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest with an area of 232 sq. km, to 429.93

sq. km when it was declared as Kaziranga National Park in 1974. Later on

the area of the park has further increases with six new additions including

some new areas of Golaghat, Nagaon and Sonitpur districts of Assam to

859.42 sq. km. This total area of the KNP includes the eroded area which

has been submerged in the Brahmaputra rive during different time period.

The area under KNP is depicted in Table: 2.1.

2 A stream or rivulet

22

Table: 2.1

Area of KNP

Name of National Park/ Addition Area

(sq. km)

Date of

Notification

(Preliminary)

Final

Notification

Date

Kaziranga national Park 429.93 11-02-1974

1st Addition to KNP (Burapahar) 43.79 28-09-1984 28-05-1997

2nd Addition to KNP (Sildubi) 006.47 10-07-1985 Not Completed

3rd Addition to KNP (Panbari RF) 000.69 31-05-1985 Not Completed

4th Addition to KNP (Kanchanjuri) 000.89 13-06-1985 03-08-1988

5th Addition to KNP (Haldibari) 001.15 13-06-1985 Not Completed

6th Addition to KNP (Panpur RF and

stretch of Brahmaputra river on the

north)

376.50 10-09-1985 07-08-1999

Total 859.42

Source: Environment and Forest Department, Government of Assam

The area of land cover types in KNP and its respective percentage is given in

Table: 2.2

Table: 2. 2

Area under Different Land Cover Types in KNP

Land Cover Type Area (sq. km) % Area

Woodland 114.01 27.95

Short grass 12.30 3.01

Tall grass 248.85 61.01

Beels 24.32 5.96

Jiya Daphlu 3.96 0.97

Mora Daphlu 2.84 0.70

Sand 1.62 0.40

Total **407.90 100.00

Source: Environment and Forest Department, Government of Assam ** Eroded area excluded

23

The distribution of area on vegetation cover under different types in KNP is

given in Table: 2.3

Table: 2.3

The Area of Vegetation Cover under Different Types

Vegetation Cover % Area

Moist mixed deciduous forest 29.13

Grass land 51.91

Water logged/ Beels 6.62

Swampy/ Marshy area 5.21

Sand 7.13

Total 100.00

Source: Environment and Forest Department, Government of Assam

The zonal distribution of area in KNP is shown in Table: 2.4

Table: 2.4

Zonation of KNP

Zone Area (sq. km) Remark

Core Zone 429.93 Original park area

Restoration Zone 429.49 Additional areas

Buffer Zone 29 Reserve forests

Tourism Zone 6.33

Total 894.75

Source: Director, KNP

KNP has evolved into Tiger Reserve in 2007 encompassing an area of

1002.69 sq. km (Table: 2.5) with tiger and rhinoceros as main flagship

species.

24

Table: 2.5

Area of KNP with Tiger Reserve

Name Area (sq. km)

Kaziranga national Park 429.93

Six nos of addition area 429.49

Panbari Reserve forest 7.65

Kukurakata Reserve forest 15.93

Monabari Plantation 05.50

Burachapori Wildlife sanctuary 44.06

Laokhowa Wildlife sanctuary 70.13

Total 1002.69

Source: Director, KNP

2.7 Administration of KNP:

The Wildlife wing of the forest department of the Government of Assam,

headquartered at Bokakhat, Golaghat district of Assam is responsible for the

administration and management of KNP. The administrative head of the park

is the director, who is a conservator-level officer. A divisional forest officer is

the administrative chief executive of the park. He is assisted by two officers

with the rank of assistant conservator of forests. The park area is divided into

four ranges, overseen by range forest officers. The four ranges are the

Burapahar, Baguri, Kohora (Central), and Agoratoli (Eastern). They are

headquartered at Ghorakati, Baguri, Kohora, and Agoratoli, respectively.

Each range is further sub-divided into beats, headed by a forester, and sub-

beats, headed by a forest guard.

The park receives financial aid from the State Government as well as the

Ministry of Environment and Forests of Government of India under various

Plan and Non-Plan Budgets. Additional funding is received under the Project

Elephant from the Central Government and Tiger Conservation Authority. In

1997-1998, a grant of US $ 100,000 was received under the Technical Co-

25

operation for Security Reinforcement scheme from the World Heritage Fund.

Additional funding is also received from national & international NGOs and

different corporate houses.

2.8 Flora and Fauna in KNP:

2.8.1 Flora in KNP:

Four main types of vegetation exist in the park. These are alluvial inundated

grassland, alluvial savanna woodlands, tropical moist mixed deciduous

forest, and tropical semi-evergreen forests.

The main characteristics of flora in Kaziranga are the dense and tall elephant

grass intermixed by small swamplands left behind by the receding

floodwaters of the river Brahmaputra. The marshes of Kaziranga National

Park have an abundant cover of water lilies, water hyacinth, and lotus which

provide a beautiful look to the surroundings of the park.

The common trees and shrubs are Albizia procera, Duabanga grandiflora,

Lagerstroemia speciosa, Crateva unilocularis, Sterculia urens, Grewia

serrulata, Mallotus philippensis, Bridelia retusa, Aphania rubra, Leea indica,

and Leea umbraculifera.

There is a difference in altitude between the eastern and western areas of

the park, with the western side being at a lower altitude. The western reaches

of the park are dominated by grasslands. Tall elephant grass is found on

higher ground, while short grasses cover the lower grounds surrounding the

beels or flood-created ponds. Annual flooding, grazing by herbivores, and

controlled burning maintain and fertilize the grasslands and reeds. Common

tall grasses are sugarcanes, spear grass, elephant grass, and the common

reed. Numerous forbs are present along with the grasses. Amidst the

grasses, providing cover and shade are scattered trees- dominant species

including kumbhi, Indian gooseberry, the cotton tree (in savanna woodlands),

and elephant apple (in inundated grasslands).

26

Thick evergreen forests, near the Kanchanjhuri, Panbari, and Tamulipathar

blocks, contain trees such as Aphanamixis polystachya, Talauma hodgsonii,

Dillenia indica, Garcinia tinctoria, Ficus rumphii, Cinnamomum bejolghota,

and species of Syzygium. Tropical semi-evergreen forests are present near

Baguri, Bimali, and Haldibari.

There are many different aquatic floras in the lakes and ponds, and along the

river shores. The invasive water hyacinth is very common, often choking the

water bodies, but it is cleared during destructive floods. Another invasive

species, Mimosa invisa, which is toxic to herbivores, was cleared by

Kaziranga staff with help from the Wildlife Trust of India in 2005.

2.8.2 Fauna in KNP

KNP is universally acknowledged for its importance as one of the most recent

intact habitat of the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros. It is just because of

the efforts taken by the conservation that in 2009 domiciles 2,048 rhinoceros,

about 70% of the world's total wild population. Apart from rhinoceros, it also

acts as a home to world’s largest population of Asiatic Wild Buffalo. The rare

swamp deer is also found here in Kaziranga. According to a recent census

conducted in the year 2011 Kaziranga contained as many as 1163 wild

Indian elephants. There are also near about 479 species of wetland,

grassland, and woodland birds, of which 18 are globally threatened. The

huge and continuously growing number of the rhinoceros in the park is a

matter of concern for the conservationists; it is felt that an epidemic could

smear out the entire population. Recently a few numbers of the rhinoceros

have been shifted to the Manas National Park of Assam.

The moderate climatic conditions and the availability of food resources

support the growth and survival of an exceptional and diverse wildlife in KNP.

Apart from the Indian one-horned Rhinoceros, KNP also has a sizable

population of the wild buffalo, tiger, and Indian elephants. KNP has the rare

distinction of being one of the very few places in the world which contain

breeding populations of three different species of tiger outside Africa namely

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talauma_hodgsoniihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dillenia_indicahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garciniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasive_specieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_hyacinthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa_invisahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_Trust_of_India

27

the Royal Bengal Tiger, the Indian Leopard, and the Clouded Leopard. KNP

had a population of around 40 Royal Bengal Tigers during the 1978 census,

which grew 265% to 106 in the 2010 census, distinguishing Kaziranga with

the highest ecological density of tiger in the world. Kaziranga formally

became a Tiger Reserve in 2007. The population of Asiatic wild buffalo in

KNP was 610 in 1978 census, which grew 218% to 1937 in 2008 census,

and it is the largest population of Asiatic wild buffalo in the world. KNP had

also a population of 773 wild elephants in 1978, which also grew 50.45% to

1163 in 2011 census. KNP is also home to the last surviving population of

eastern swamp deer. According to the 1978 census the population of the

eastern swamp deer were 697 which falls 44.19% to 389 in 1999 census and

further grew 75% to 681 in 2007 census in comparison with 1999. The

decrease in the swamp deer population may be reflection of the increasing

tiger population.

Other significant population of large herbivores in KNP includes Gaur and

Samber. Smaller herbivores include Indian Muntjak, Hog Deer, Barking Deer,

and Wild Boar.

KNP is also home to Sloth Bears, Jungle Cat, Fishing Cat, and Leopard Cat.

There are some other mammals like Hispid Hare, Indian Gray Mongoose,

Small Indian Mongoose, and Large Indian Civet, Small Indian Civets, Bengal

Fox, Golden Jackal, Chinese Pangolin, Indian Pangolin, Hog Badger,

Chinese Ferret Badger, Parti-coloured Flying Squirrel and bats are also

found in the park.

KNP has a large variety of apes including all free roaming apes in India with

the exception of the endemic Western Ghats apes and newly discovered

Arunachal Macaque. This includes endangered and rare species of Bengal

Slow Loris, Assamese Macaque, Capped Langur, Golden Langur and the

Hoolock Gibbon.

Kaziranga National Park lies in the Himalaya biodiversity Hotspot. Two

migratory routs of birds crisscross Kaziranga. This contributed to its rich

28

biodiversity in the grass land and woodland ecosystems. The rivers, streams

and the beels inside the park are ideal habitat for the fresh water fishes,

reptiles, and other aquatic forms of life. These include the endangered

Gharial and the rare Assam Roofed Turtle. KNP’s rivers are also home to the

highly endangered Ganges Dolphin. There are 60 species of Reptiles, 24

species of Amphibians, 42 species of fishes, and 491 species of Butterflies

has also been recorded from KNP. The census report of five major species of

KNP is given in Table: 2.6

Table: 2.6

Census Report of KNP

Year Species

Rhinoceros Tiger Swamp

Deer

Elephant Wild Buffalo

1978 938 40 697 773 610

1984 1080 52 756 523 677

1991 1129 - - - -

1993 1164 72 - 1094 -

1997 - 80 - 945 -

1999 1552 - 389 - 1192

2000 - 86 486 - -

2001 - - - - 1431

2002 - - - 1048 -

2005 - - - 1246 -

2006 1855 - - 1293 -

2007 - - 681 - 1048

2008 - - - 1293 1937

2009 2048 - - - -

2010 - 106 - - -

2011 - - 1165 1163 -

Source: Director, KNP & Environment and Forest Department, Govt. of Assam.

29

Photo page:1

30

Photo Page:2

31

Photo Page:3

32

PhotoPage:4

33

The population of five major inhabitants of KNP is shown in figure: 2.1, 2.2,

2.3, 2.4, and 2.5

Figure: 2.1

Figure: 2.2

Figure: 2.3

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1978 1984 1993 1997 2000 2010

Nu

mb

er

of

Tig

er

Year

Number of Tigers in KNP Since 1978

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1978 1984 1991 1993 1999 2006 2009

Nu

mb

er

of

Rh

ino

cero

s

Year

Number of Rhinoceros in KNP Since 1978

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1978 1984 1999 2000 2007 2011

Nu

mb

er

of

Swam

p D

ee

r

Year

Number of Swamp Deer in KNP Since 1978

34

Figure: 2.4

Figure: 2.5

2.9 Tourism in KNP:

The history of tourism in Kaziranga began in 1937. Initially there was no

facility to the tourist except a few elephants. In 1950 an inspection bunglow of

P.W.D. was set up. In the same year the Divisional Forest Office was set up

in Bagori and it extended few facilities to the tourists. In view of the

increasing number of tourists a temporary tourist lodge was constructed and

later on two bunglows were constructed in 1954-55 and 1960-61. In 1963

these two bunglows were handed over to the Tourism Department (Bora,

2005). Now there are almost sixty lodges, resorts and hotels located in the

surrounding area of the park from Jakhalabandha to Bokakhat. There are

also some resorts nearer to the core area of the park. A few of them are

managed and maintained by the Tourism Department of Assam, Assam

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1978 1984 1993 1997 2002 2005 2006 2008 2011

Nu

mb

er

of

Ele

ph

ant

Year

Number of Elephant in KNP Since 1978

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1978 1984 1999 2001 2007 2008Nu

mb

er

of

Wild

Bu

ffal

o

Year

Number of Wild Buffalo in KNP Since 1978

35

Tourism Development Corporation, leased by the Assam Tourism

Development Corporation, Forest department of Assam, DRDA and a large

number of lodges and resorts belong to the private owner.

Viewing wildlife from the safety of elephant-back started in 1938 in

Kaziranga. Since then it became and still is a major attraction as within an

hour one can see many species. In KNP jeep safari and visiting the park

through water ways at the initiative of private sector is also available. The

park is open to the visitors from November to April in every year. However no

visitor is allowed to enter the park without an accompanying representative of

the forest department. Observation towers are situated at Sohola, Mihimukh,

Kathpara, Foliamari and Harmoti for spotting wildlife. Wildlife watching,

including birding is the main activity inside the park. Viewing the scenic

landscape of the park with different vegetation types interspersed with

numerous beels constitute other attractions. Hiking in the park is not allowed

taking into consideration the large number of potentially dangerous wild

animals.

KNP has given rise to many local enterprises specialising in varied activities.

Tourism benefits the people living in the fringe of the park and helps in

empowering the local people. People from the adjoining areas own near

about 70 vehicles, which are allowed to be taken into the park, and most of

them act as the driver cum guide. During the peak season privately owned

elephants are used by the forest department for elephant safari of visitors.

Some of the residents of surrounding area of the park have converted their

houses into hotels and resorts. Some young boys have learnt English to

become guides for high-end tourists; several families, who anyway wove

many of their own clothes, have moved over to a commercial weaving

operation. There is tremendous scope for the sale of handicrafts in and

around the park. Most of the big hotels and resorts depend on local villagers

around Kaziranga for their day-to-day provisions (Gokhale and Kashyap,

2005). A large number of local people are actively employed in these hotels.

Local people do get some amount of employment from the park in the form of

labour and allied activities. Approximately 100 to 200 people are hired per

36

range for removal of Mimosa3. Labour requirements for the park include,

labour for anti poaching activities and construction of bridges, culverts, etc.

The park has developed a very good network of intelligence throughout the

villages surrounding the park. There are key informants in every village,

which reports about the movement of poachers and are monetarily

compensated for information they provide to the park authorities.

KNP is open for the visitors from November to December and from January

to April every year. In this period Kaziranga witness an unprecedented rush

of tourists. The number of visitors and revenue collection in KNP is shown in

Table: 2.7

Table: 2.7

Number of Visitors and Collection of Revenue of KNP Year Number of Visitors Total

Visitors Total

Revenue (Rs.)

Indian Foreigner

1986-1987 61207 403 61610 224493

1987-1988 65273 614 65887 303914

1988-1989 52160 841 53001 285686

1989-1990 50021 454 50475 275381

1990-1991 22704 463 23167 310298

1991-1992 26827 526 27553 613811

1992-1993 27943 659 28602 849428

1993-1994 55560 892 56452 799583

1994-1995 53243 1392 54635 880951

1995-1996 24897 3199 28088 880951

1996-1997 16715 1677 18382 170062

1997-1998 17117 2408 19523 2197068

1998-1999 18157 1091 19248 1802856

1999-2000 37496 1623 39319 2229291

2000-2001 50498 1838 52336 3038258

2001-2002 44162 2144 46306 3494084

2002-2003 59811 2055 61866 5360425

2003-2004 57864 3772 61636 6138657

2004-2005 68412 5147 73559 6675037

2005-2006 49116 5210 54326 7615169

2006-2007 67968 5748 73716 7980949

2007-2008 53640 6106 59746 8734185

2008-2009 100384 5767 106051 11220698

2009-2010 105264 7580 112844 12167974

2010-2011 112392 7447 119839 13673482 Source: Director KNP

3 A weed which is harmful for the herbivores

37

Figure: 2.6

Figure: 2.7

Figure: 2.8

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

19

86

-87

19

87

-88

19

88

-89

19

89

-90

19

90

-91

19

91

-92

19

92

-93

19

93

-94

19

94

-95

19

95

-96

19

96

-97

19

97

-98

19

98

-99

19

99

-00

20

00

-01

20

01

-02

20

02

-03

20

03

-04

20

04

-05

20

05

-06

20

06

-07

20

07

-08

20

08

-09

20

09

-10

20

10

-11

Nu

mb

er

of

Vis

ito

rs

Year

Total Number of Visitors to KNP Since 1986-87

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

19

86

-87

19

87

-88

19

88

-89

19

89

-90

19

90

-91

19

91

-92

19

92

-93

19

93

-94

19

94

-95

19

95

-96

19

96

-97

19

97

-98

19

98

-99

19

99

-00

20

00

-01

20

01

-02

20

02

-03

20

03

-04

20

04

-05

20

05

-06

20

06

-07

20

07

-08

20

08

-09

20

09

-10

20

10

-11

Nu

mb

er

of

Do

me

sti

c V

isit

ors

Year

Number of Domestic Visitors to KNP Since 1986-87

010002000300040005000600070008000

19

86

-87

19

87

-88

19

88

-89

19

89

-90

19

90

-91

19

91

-92

19

92

-93

19

93

-94

19

94

-95

19

95

-96

19

96

-97

19

97

-98

19

98

-99

19

99

-00

20

00

-01

20

01

-02

20

02

-03

20

03

-04

20

04

-05

20

05

-06

20

06

-07

20

07

-08

20

08

-09

20

09

-10

20

10

-11

Nu

mb

er

of

Fore

ign

To

uri

sts

Year

Number of Foreign Tourists to KNP Since 1986-87

38

Table: 2.8

Conservation Expenditure of KNP

Year Expenditure on Conservation of

KNP (Rs.)

Expenditure on Salary (Rs.)

Total Expenditure (Rs.)

2006-07 13119847 38912506 52032353

2007-08 21459453 45000000 66459453

2008-09 42986207 54310000 97296207

2009-10 46072991 66070000 112142991

2010-11 140490147 92450000 232940147 Source: Director KNP

2.10 Problems of KNP

KNP, a name known worldwide for its success in the history of one horned

Indian rhinoceros, providing habitat for a number of endangered species and

migratory birds is going through some serious problems.

Flood

Floods are always considered to be a dreaded period for KNP and its animal

life. Since last decade the increasing level of multi wave flood is really

threatening the future of the park. During the flood, most of the animals

including the rhinoceros have to migrate from the park and to take shelter on

the adjacent high grounds of Karbi Anglong Hills or wherever they may find

suitable shelter. These areas are densely populated and hence the protection

of the animals during the period of migration (from and back to the park)

becomes an uphill task as enforcement network is almost non-existent in

such areas. It kills, maim, or distress animals in the park. Flood in KNP also

dislocate the infrastructure such as roads, bridges, camps, poles etc. in the

park. Floods in its wake leave the entire park in a state of disarray and

confusion.

But the flood in KNP is a boon as well as a curse. It brings silt in the park

which is very essential to maintain the biodiversity. It also sanitizes the

habitat by removing the debris and other foreign materials cluttering the park.

39

Erosion

The Brahmaputra River, along the northern boundary of KNP, is infamous for

the ravaging erosion during the annual floods. The land area of the park

eroded by floods has already been reduced considerably, especially during

the last three decades. The intensity of erosion is heavy near Erasuti and

Moklong camp of the park.

The National High Way 37

The 54 km length of the National Highway (NH) 37 running parallel on the

southern boundary of Kaziranga National Park, between Bokakhat to

Ghorakati range divides the landscape between the low-lying grasslands in

the north and the elevated Karbi Anglong hills in the south. During flood in

KNP the wild animals have no way out but to move southwards to elevate

grounds, many wild animals are killed by vehicles while attempting to cross

NH-37. The park authority have identified crucial animal crossing corridors on

the NH-37 and have implemented several measures to reduce animal

mortality including road signage, terrain easements, rumble strips, road

awareness campaigns, and intensive night patrolling and regulation of

vehicular traffic.

Land use Change

KNP is surrounded by 23 villages and at least four tea gardens with around

30, 000 people towards the south, east, and south-west. Another 30 villages

with more than 40, 000 people are very close by. As a result of the acute

poverty present among its residence, the villagers often enter the park for

illegal fishing and for firewood. Threat from overgrazing by the domestic

livestock is ever present. During the dry season the villagers often push their

livestock into the park for fodder which affects the amount of food available to

the huge number of herbivorous animal living in the park. Such infiltration of

domestic cattle increases the risk of spread of diseases among the wild

animals as most of the cattle are not properly immunized. There is also a risk

of losing genetic distinctness among the wild buffaloes due to entry of

domestic buffaloes. The riverine stretch towards north has a large number of

40

khutis4 and temporary fishing camps on the chaporis or char5 (Choudhury,

A., 2004). The Karbi Plateau to the south of the park is an important area of

high ground. Large scale habitat changes in the plateau include conversion

to tea gardens, settlement, logging, and jhum6. The impact is that the gap

between the park and the plateau is increasing, as suitable habitat is

destroyed. The tea gardens close to the park boundaries also pose a threat

through pesticide run-off. Tea gardens also increase the potential for invasive

exotic species, such as mimosa, wild rose, water hyacinth, and lantana, to

colonise the park. The threat of invasive species has so far been controlled

by the hard efforts of park staff and the regular flushing of the park from flood

waters. Pesticide run-off is harder for park staff to control.

Habitat Degradation

Consequent to recurrent flood, several water bodies, or beels in the Park

have shrunk in size due to siltation. Besides, deposition of sand in short

grass areas has also degraded the suitability of such areas for the

herbivores. The grasses growing in such areas have to emerge through the

sandy deposits and are coarse, thick, and not very palatable to the foraging

animals. The invasion of weeds like water hyacinth in water bodies and

mikenia, mimosa in prime grassy areas is also a serious threat to the park

and its denizens. Since siltation of the water bodies is one of most, prominent

contributory factors towards Habitat degradation, desiltation of the water

bodies in Kaziranga National Park needs to be taken up on a priority basis.

Poaching

Poaching of rhinoceros for its horn has been a serious problem to the KNP.

This evil practice still continues as the superstitious belief regarding the

aphrodisiac and medicinal value attributed to its horn persists. From 1965 to

2005 the park lost 647 rhinoceros to the poachers. Figure: 2.9 shows the

numbers of rhinoceros lost due to poaching in KNP during this period.

4 Temporary suitable shelters for keeping cattle for milk production

5 Small river island

6 Shifting cultivation

41

Figure: 2.9

Source: UNESCO-IUCN Enhancing Our Heritage Project: Monitoring and Management for Success in

Natural World Heritage Sites (Technical Report No. 04), 2005

Shortage of Staff and Infrastructure

There is shortage of existing sanctioned staff for managing the KNP. Further,

with more areas added to the KNP, additional staff and infrastructure is

needed for effective control over the additional areas.

Threat from Numaligarh Refinery

The Numaligarh refinery, situated nearby the KNP in Golaghat district has

already been identified as a possible threat, being positioned upstream from

the park on the Dhansiri River. The oil exploration activity around the park

thus poses a tremendous challenge to conserving the values of this World

Heritage Site.

18

5

1210

8

2

8

0

3 35

1

0

32

11

24 25

37

28

4445

2324

44

35

23

48

40

14

2726

12

8 4

4

84

3

42

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Nu

mb

ers

of

Rh

ino

cero

s

Year

Numbers of Rhinoceros Lost due to Poaching

42

Encroachment

The park does not suffer from any recorded instance of encroachment on its

initial core area, while some of the new additions to the park are burdened

with encroachment shown in Table: 2.9

Table: 2.9

Encroachment Area of KNP

Area Encroachment Area

in Hect.

Remarks

KNP (initial core area) Nil -

1st Addition Area 650 7H/H evicted during

May/June, 2002

6th Addition Area

including Panpur R.F.

7100 162H/H evicted during

May/June, 2002

4th Addition Area 40 Encroached by tea

garden

Source: UNESCO-IUCN Enhancing Our Heritage Project: Monitoring and Management for Success in Natural World Heritage Sites (Technical Report No. 04), 2005

2.11 Summing Up

Despite all odds in the last 100 years Kaziranga National Park has been able

to secure the habitat of several endangered species. The park managers,

frontline staff, local communities, and the civil society representatives have

played a vital role in achieving this conservation success.