The
first and the oldest National
Park in Assam is a World
Heritage site spread over
an area of 430 sq. kms.
This National Park is
the natural home of the
world famous one-horned
Indian rhinoceros.
Declared
a National Park in 1974,
the landscape of Kaziranga
is of sheer forest, tall
elephant grass, rugged
reeds, marshes and shallow
pools.
The
one horned Rhinoceros, Elephant,
Indian bison, Swamp Deer, Sambar,
Hog Deer, Sloth Bear, Tiger,
Leopard cat, Jungle cat, Hog
badger, Capped langur, Hollock
gibbon, Jackal, Goose, Hornbills,
Ibis, Cormorants, Egret, Heron
fishing eagle etc. all form
a part of the very complex ecological
balance of the park.
During
Winter a large number of migratory
birds are also seen here.
The
Park can be visited by Jeep,
Car or on Elephant back. The
best season to visit is from
November to April.
Getting there
Kaziranga
is 217 kms from Guwahati and
96 kms from Jorhat by road.
The nearest airport is Rowriah(Jorhat).
Tourists can either fly to Jorhat
or can go by surface to Kaziranga
from Guwahati.
Manas
National Park
Located in the Himalayan foothill bhabararea in the western Assam, Manas was originally a game reserve since 1928 and became a Tiger Reserve in 1974, a World Heritage Site in 1985, a Biosphere Reserve in 1989. It was then declared as a National Park in 1990.
Covering
an area of 519.77
Sq. Kms, it has a
core area of 360 Kms.
Manas is one of the
nine tiger reserve
sanctuaries in India
and it has its own
peculiar faunal features,
the rarest species
of which are Hispid
Hare, Pigmy Hog, Golden
Langur, Indian Rhinoceros,
Asiatic Buffalo etc.
Other commonly seen
animals are Elephant,
Leopard, Clouded Leopard,
Himalayan Bear, Wild
Boar, Samber, Swamp
Deer, Hog Deer etc.
Hundreds
of the winged species
migrate to the pleasant
climate of Manas during
Winter. Among them are
Riverchats (White Capped
Redstars), Forktails,
Cormorants and various
types of ducks including
the Ruddy Shelduck.
Season
to visit is from November
to April.
Getting
there
Manas
is 176 kms from Guwahati
by road. The nearest airport
is Lokapriya Gopinath
Bordoloi International
Airport at Guwahati. The
nearest railhead is Barpeta
Road Station which is
40 kms away from Manas.
