Kaziranga

Recently,we have been bombarded with news clippings about the debacle faced by Sariska National park,the gradual decimation of tigers,a failed conservation story,but there is still a glimmer of hope for the almost defunct Ministry of Environment and Forests,the applaudable conservation legacy of Kaziranga National Park.
As the legend has it,a rustic lad named Kazi fell in love with a beautiful girl named Ranga,living in one of the villages bordering the forest,one day they wandered into the woods nearby and never returned,thus the forest was named "Kaziranga".
A lot of the credit for the conservation effort goes to the Britishers,Lady Curzon had come on a visit to Assam (Kaziranga) and wanted to catch a glimpse of the "much talked-about" Rhinoceros Unicornis(The Great one-horned Indian Rhinoceros) but could only spot hoof-marks,the population of the rhinos back then was at an alarming low of 16,needless to say she felt compelled to do something and urged Lord Curzon to begin the conservation effort,AJW Milroy,the then Senior Conservator of forests,and Mihi Chandra Miri waged a "tough battle" against the poachers and laid the groundwork for the future.
Today,the rhinos under the aegis of the rangers and conservators have more than just survived and are at an acceptable level of 1600.This is one success story no one can be sceptical about.The villagers bordering the park live in perfect harmony with nature,they venture into the forests to fetch "minor forest produce",and provender for their cattle,co-existing with the wildlife as they have for generations now.
Poaching is almost non-existent ,during my many visits to the park,I was fortunate enough to spot the elusive rhino a few times,the herd of Wild Buffalo are less diffident,there is also the amazing bird population which is a true delight for ornithologists.I would recommend the Elephant Safari over the Jeep ride escorted by forest guards.
The best way to view rhinos comes at no cost,"Best things in life are indeed free",on the way to Kohora from Nagaon or Tezpur,at an approximate distance of 15km ,lies the unofficial spot for"Rhino gazing",off the national highway,you can spot the Pachyderms abask in the marshy soil.In the summers,quite like the elephants ,they loll about in the mud to cool themselves.
Contrary to popular belief,it's not quite easy to come within point blank range of the rhino,the terrain is unforgiving,each step forward comes at the expense of maneuverability,a quick escape in the "face of adversity"(the rhino chasing you)would be improbable.There is one piece of advice from the seasoned locals,always run in a Zig-Zag fashion if ever the Rhino were to chase you,the locals believe that the Rhino has a narrow range of vision which offers only direct "line of sight".I don't know how far this is true,to put this to the test could prove disastrous.
The best way to enjoy the park's beauty at leisure would be to stay either in the nearby Wild Grass restaurant or park yourself in any of the tea garden bungalows,a luxury for those who have acquaintances in the tea garden industry,for the true wild life enthusiast,a trip to the Manas wildlife sanctuary would prove to be an added bonus.
A lot of scepticism related to the tourism industry in the North-east has to do with the insurgency in the region,and also the sky-high Inland Air Travel Tax,which acts as a deterrent to air travel in the region.The incumbent government is taking effective steps to remove both hindrances,but "confidence building measures" do take time to gain acceptance among the people.
As the Park completes it's first centenary celebrations,I sincerely hope that Assam and it's crown Kaziranga will be the attraction for generations to come.