“Do not fall in love with people like me(national park). I will take you to museums, and parks, and monuments, and kiss you in every beautiful place, so that you can never go back to them without tasting me like blood in your mouth.I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible. And when I leave you will finally understand, why storms are named after people.” Caitlyn Siehl

A national park is a park in use for  conservation purposes.

Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns.

Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently, there is a common idea: the conservation of wild nature for posterity and as a symbol of national pride.

What is a National Park?

Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India.

A World Heritage Site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses.

 Kaziranga boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006.

Kaziranga National Park

The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.

 Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International for conservation of avifaunal species.

Compared to other protected areas in India, Kaziranga has achieved notable success in wildlife conservation.

Located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, the park combines high species diversity and visibility.

Kaziranga is a vast expanse of tall elephant grass, marshland, and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, crisscrossed by four major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, and the park includes numerous small bodies of water.

Kaziranga has been the theme of several books, songs, and documentaries.

The park celebrated its centennial in 2005 after its establishment in 1905 as a reserve forest.

Contents

 History Etymology Geography Climate Fauna Flora Administration Conservation management TransportPicture GalleryConclusion

The history of Kaziranga as a protected area can be traced back to 1904, when Mary Curzon, Baroness Curzon of Kedleston, the wife of the Viceroy of India,Lord Curzon of Kedleston, 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.

History

 On 1 June 1905, the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was created with an area of 232 km2(90 sq mi). Over the next three years, the park area was extended by 152 km2 (59 sq mi), to the banks of the Brahmaputra River.

In 1908, Kaziranga was designated a Reserve Forest.

It was named as Kaziranga game sanctury. This was because all used to play sports like golf here.

The Kaziranga Game Sanctuary was renamed the Kaziranga Wildlife 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. 

Fourteen years later, in 1968, the state government passed the Assam National Park Act of 1968, declaring Kaziranga a designated national park.

 The 430 km2 (166 sq mi) park was given official status by the central government on 11 February 1974. In 1985, Kaziranga was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its unique natural environment.

Mary Curzon

Baroness Curzon of Kedleston [The Viceroy of India]

Although the etymology of the name Kaziranga is not certain, there exist a number of possible explanations derived from local legends and records.

 According to another legend, Srimanta Sankardeva, the sixteenth century Vaisnava saint-scholar, once blessed a childless couple, Kazi and Rangai, and asked them to dig a big pond in the region so that their name would live on.

Etymology

Kaziranga is located between latitudes 26°30' N and 26°45' N, and longitudes 93°08' E to 93°36' E within two districts in the Indian state of Assam—the  Nagaon district  and the Golaghat district.

The park is approximately 40 km (25 mi) in length from east to west, and 13 km (8 mi) in breadth from north to south.  

It covers an area of 378 km2  with approximately 51.14 km2 lost to erosion in recent years.

 A total addition of 429 km2 along the present boundary of the park has been made and designated with separate national park status to provide extended habitat for increasing the population of wildlife or, as a corridor for safe movement of animals to Karbi Anglong Hills.

Geography

Elevation ranges from 40 m to 80 m. The park area is circumscribed by the Brahmaputra River, which forms the northern and eastern boundaries, and the Mora Diphlu, which forms the southern boundary.

Other notable rivers within the park is Dhansiri.

Kaziranga has flat expanses of fertile, alluvial soil, formed by erosion and silt deposition by the River Brahmaputra.

The park experiences three seasons: winter.summer monsoon

The winter season, between November and February, is mild and dry, with a mean high of 25 °C (77 °F) and low of 5 °C (41 °F). During this season, beels and nallahs (water channels) dry up.

 The summer season between March and May is hot, with temperatures reaching a high of 37 °C   (99 °F). During this season, animals usually are found near water bodies.

 The rainy monsoon season lasts from June to September, and is responsible for most of Kaziranga's annual rainfall of 2,220 mm (87 in). During the peak months of July and August, three-fourths of the western region of the park is submerged, due to the rising water level of the Brahmaputra.

Climate

. The flooding causes most animals to migrate to elevated and forested regions outside the southern border of the park, such as the Mikir hills.

540 animals,including 13 rhinos and mostly hog deers perished in unprecedented floods of 2012. 

However, occasional dry spells create problems as well, such as food shortages.

Kaziranga contains significant breeding populations of 35 mammalian species, of which 15 are threatened as per the IUCN Red List.

 The park has the distinction of being home to the world's largest population of the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros (1,855), Wild Asiatic Water Buffalo (1,666) andEastern Swamp Deer (468).

 Significant populations of large herbivores include elephants (1,940), gaur (30) and sambar (58).

Small herbivores include the Indian Muntjac, wild boar, and hog deer.

Fauna

 Kaziranga has the largest population of the Wild water buffalo anywhere accounting for about 57% of the world population.

Kaziranga is one of the few wild breeding areas outside Africa for multiple species of large cats, such as Indian Tigers and Leopards.

Kaziranga is one of the few wild breeding areas outside Africa for multiple species of large cats, such as Indian Tigers and Leopards. 

Kaziranga was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 and has the highest density of tigers in the world (one per five km²), with a population of 86, as per the 2000 census.Other felids include theJungle Cat, Fishing Cat, and Leopard Cats.

 Small mammals include the rare Hispid Hare, Indian Gray Mongoose, Small Indian Mongooses, Large Indian Civet , Small Indian Civets, Bengal Fox, Golden Jackal, Sloth Bear, Chinese Pangolin,Indian Pangolins, Hog Badger, Chinese Ferret Badgers, and Particolored flying squirrels.Nine of the 14 primate species found in India occur in the park.

 Prominent among them are the Assamese Macaque, Capped, Golden Langur, as well as the only ape found in India, the Hoolock Gibbon. Kaziranga's rivers are also home to the endangered Ganges Dolphin.

Kaziranga 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.

Birds such as the Lesser White-fronted Goose, Ferruginous Duck,Baer's Pochard duck and Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black-necked Stork, and Asian Openbill stork migrate from Central Asia to the park during winter.Riverine birds include the Blyth's Kingfisher, White-bellied Heron, Dalmatian Pelican,Spot-billed Pelican, Nordmann's Greenshank, and Black-bellied Tern.

 Birds of prey include the rare Eastern Imperial, Greater Spotted, White-tailed, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, and the Lesser Kestrel.

Monitor lizard species found in the park include the Bengal monitor and the Water Monitor. Other reptiles include fifteen species of turtle, such as the endemic Assam Roofed Turtle and one species of tortoise, the Brown Tortoise. 42 species of fish are found in the area, including the Tetraodon.

Hog deer Jungle fowls

Pallas's fish eagle

Barasingha deer

Rose-ringed parakeets

Asian elephants

Wild boar An Indian Roller 

Indian rhino

Four main types of vegetation exist in this park. These are alluvial inundated grasslands, alluvial savanna woodlands, tropical moist mixed deciduous forests, andtropical semi-evergreen forests.

Based on Landsat data for 1986, percent coverage by vegetation is: tall grasses 41%, short grasses 11%, open jungle 29%, swamps 4%, rivers and water bodies 8%, and sand 6%.

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

Flora

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).

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.

Grasslands and deciduous forests of Kaziranga .

Striking view of a leafless tree viewed from a watch tower in Kaziranga National Park with the backdrop of the grasslands and the forest in the distance.

The Wildlife wing of the forest department of the Government of Assam, headquartered at Bokakhat, is responsible for the administration and management of Kaziranga. 

The administrative head of the park is the director, who is a Chief 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 five ranges, overseen by range forest officers.

The five ranges are the Burapahar, Baguri, Central, Eastern and North Bank.

Administration

They are headquartered at Ghorakati, Baguri, Kohora, Agoratoli and Biswanath respectively. Each range is further sub-divided into beats, headed by a forester, and sub-beats, headed by a forest guard.. The official website of the Park is http://kaziranga.assam.gov.in

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.

In 1997–1998, a grant of US$ 100,000 was received under the Technical Co-operation for Security Reinforcement scheme from the World Heritage Fund. 

Additional funding is also received from national & international Non-governmental organizations.

A board proclaiming the biological heritage of the Park

Kaziranga National Park has been granted maximum protection under the Indian law for wildlife conservation.

Various laws, which range in dates from the Assam Forest Regulation of 1891 and the Biodiversity Conservation Act of 2002 have been enacted for protection of wildlife in the park.

 Poaching activities, particularly of the rhinoceroses for its horn, has been a major concern for the authorities.

Conservation management

Between 1980 and 2005, 567 rhinoceroses were hunted by poachers.Following a decreasing trend for the past few years, 18 one-horned rhinoceroses were killed by poachers in 2007.

Reports have suggested that there are links between these poaching activities and funding of terrorism Organisation.

 But these could not be substantiated in later years.

Preventive measures such as construction of anti-poaching camps and maintenance of existing ones, patrolling, intelligence gathering, and control over the use of firearms around the park have reduced the number of casualties

Since 2013, the park used cameras on drones which are monitored by security guards to protect the rhino from armed poachers.

Authorised guides of the forest department accompany all travellers inside the park .Mahout-guided elephant rides and Jeep or other 4WD vehicles rides are booked in advance.

Starting from the Park Administrative Centre at Kohora, these rides can follow the three motorable trails under the jurisdiction of three ranges—Kohora, Bagori, and Agaratoli.

These trails are open for light vehicles from November to mid-May.

Visitors are allowed to take their own vehicles when accompanied by guides.

Transport

Buses owned by Assam State Transport Corporation and private agencies between Guwahati, Tezpur, and Upper Assam stop at the main gate of Kaziranga on NH 37 at Kohora

 The nearest town is Bokakhat 23 kilometres (14 mi) away.

 Major cities near the park are Guwahati (217 kilometres) and Jorhat (97 kilometres).Furkating 75 kilometres ,which is under the supervision of Northeast Frontier Railway, is the nearest railway station. 

Jorhat Airport at Rowriah (97 kilometres away), Tezpur Airport at Salonibari (approx 100 kilometres away), and Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati (approximately 217 kilometres away) are the nearby airports.

Transportation is also available from Guwahati to Kaziranga National Park and other places in Assam.

A Road from Xorai to Kaziranga on NH 37

Jeep

Picture Gallery

Wildlife safari

Elephant Bath

Rhinoceros being poached

Elephant Breeding centre

The Jeep used to go for safari

Therefore, we conclude this presentation by saying that

‘One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.’

So we as a school going students can take more efforts like creating awareness, and as many say that computer is just a mere waste of time. We can prove that wrong by even creating awareness online and on many other websites and as a human being we have to put our hands together and strive hard to have a better future for our world.

Conclusion

-BY

1.Krithik Jain

2.Shreyans Jain

3.Jayasuriya

4.Atul Singh

5.Chinky Jain

6.Deepika