The Kaziranga National Park, on Monday, started a two-day rhino census exercise, which will be conducted in all the ranges of the park, with social figures and staff. More than 40 elephants and 17 SUVs are being used for the exercise.
The massive area has been categorised into 74 compartments.
The southern side of Jia Diffloo, with 36 compartments, was covered on Monday. To ensure smoothness in the conducting the exercise, the Kohora, Bagori and Burapahar ranges remained closed for the visitors.
Similarly on Tuesday, the northern side of Diffloo river will be covered, divided into 38 compartments. The Kohora, Bagori, Burapahar ranges will remain open for visitors.
This year’s census awaits the result of the rare one-horned rhino population as its estimation would be an important factor for its breeding.
Interesting facts:
– Kaziranga was originally 90 square miles in size when it was created in 1905. It expanded over the years until it reached its current size.
– In the last several decades there have been issues with river overflows killing wildlife and man destroying portions of the forest.
– The rhino population in Kaziranga National Park contains two-thirds of the great one-horned rhinos in the world. The population in 2015 was 2,401 and included 1,651 adults, 294 sub-adults, 251 juveniles, and 205 rhino cubs.
– Elephants, swamp deer, and wild water buffalo breeding populations live in Kaziranga National Parl.
– Among the protected areas of the world, Kaziranga National Park contains the largest density of tigers. In 2006 it was declared a tiger reserve.
– There are 35 mammal species in Kaziranga National Park. 15 are listed as threatened species. Some of the mammals include elephants, wild Asiatic water buffalos, swamp deer, great one-horned rhinos, wild boar, Indian tigers, leopards, fishing cats, jungle cats, Bengal foxes, and flying squirrels, among many others.
– The landscape of Kaziranga National Park includes marshes, very dense moist broadleaf tropical forests, elephant grass expanses, rivers, and small water bodies.
– Four major rivers cross Kaziranga National Park including Brahmaputra, Diphlu, Mora Dhansiri, and Mora Diphlu.
– The population in the area around Kaziranga National Park is very dense, and includes 39 villages and 50,000 households, which also helps to serve the eco-tourism industry.
– Wildlife viewing and bird watching are two of the main activities that tourists take part in.