Kaziranga
Photo Tours
Giants in a giant landscape.
Upcoming Photo Tours
Overview
Considered as one of the greatest natural wonders of India, Kaziranga National Park emerges as a coveted sanctuary for wildlife enthusiasts. Spanning over 430km2, its landscape is a mosaic of Elephants in grass meadows, Swampy Lagoons in the trees, and Wild Water Buffaloes bathing in the lakes, to name a few!
Within this region, resides a thriving population of more than 2000 Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, accounting for nearly two-third of their global population. Moreover, the park's incredible effort in rescuing the Indian one-horned rhinoceros from the edge of extinction and nurturing the largest population of this magnificent species is a remarkable conservation triumph.
In addition to being the habitat of the iconic One-horned Rhinoceros, Kaziranga has become a thriving haven for the majestic Bengal Tiger, which is why Kaziranga has been designated as a tiger reserve as well!
How is it?
Two decades ago, Kaziranga faced the ignominious threat of losing its most celebrated tenant, the great one-horned rhinoceros. Today, it is the best place in the world to see and photograph this primordial pachyderm. And although the rhino is virtually synonymous with the place, it is merely the tip of an iceberg that goes incredibly deep.
Among other mammals, the rare and endangered Asiatic water buffalo – a species of wild buffalo even larger than its African counterpart – forms a unique attraction. Enormous mud-stained tuskers and mid-sized elephant herds drifting slowly across the great outdoors are a regular fixture.
In a smaller segment, the comely hog deer and the endemic swamp deer (or the ‘soft ground barasingha‘) offer beautiful attractions on hooves. Occasionally, those bestowed with special fortune may enjoy the exceptional sight of a tiger adorning the great outdoors.
Kaziranga’s avian life is famously splendid. Identified by Birdlife International as an “Important Bird Area”, a rich variety of migratory birds, waders, raptors and scavengers are found here, including the black-necked stork, red-breasted parakeet, Asian barred owlet, dusky eagle-owl, dalmatian pelican, grey-headed fish eagle, Jerdon’s babbler, swamp francolin, great hornbill, pied harrier and cinerous vulture.
Reptiles are represented by two of the largest snakes in the world, the reticulated python and Indian rock python, and the longest venomous snake in the world, the king cobra. The Assam roofed turtle is a fairly common sight that lends itself beautifully to creative imaging.
The adjoining Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a bonus destination on this Tour, is a fabulous place to observe some of India’s endemic primates. A small park that offers big opportunities, it boasts of seven species of primate including the hoolock gibbon, pig-tailed and stump-tailed macaques, capped langur and slow loris, while three species of civet and four species of squirrel, including the Malayan giant, will keep your eyes riveted to the canopy. Amidst all this, the botanically inclined will be floored by its floral diversity. Truly, a ‘simian adventure’ never sounded so enticing!
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