India – Ray Cannon's travel blog

Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)

Kaziranga National Park covers an area of 430 sq kms along the southern bank of the river Brahmaputra, in the province of Assam, in NE India. The park is famous for having the largest remaining population of the Great Indian one horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). These magnificent mammals are amongst the largest rhinos in the world, with some males weighing up to 2.7 tonnes (ref 1).

Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) juvenile

The horn of the Indian rhino is often relatively small compared to that of African rhinos, but that does not stop some being killed for it. As most people know – apart from the fools who purchase it – rhino horn is just keratin, the same material as our fingernails. Any suggestion that it has any special properties is complete nonsense. Nevertheless, these wonderful animals are killed because there is a demand for the horn in traditional Chinese medicine. The current worldwide surge in demand for rhino horn has been primarily driven by demand for horn in Vietnam according to WWF (ref 2). It is hard to believe that people could be so ignorant as to pay huge sums for this totally useless product – only useful to the rhino – and thus threaten its existence.

Although not on the awful scale seen in Africa, where rhino poaching has reached a crisis – at least 1,312 rhinoceros were illegally killed in Africa in 2015 – Indian rhinos are regularly killed by poachers. Official figures for the numbers of rhinos poached in Kaziranga NK in recent years are as follows: 2012 (11), 2013 (27), 2014 (27), 2015 (17) (ref 3). Although, these numbers are relatively low compared to the total population, I am sure that without the heroic efforts of the forest guards, many more would be killed. Poachers are willing to risk their lives to hunt these animals (refs 4, 5).

The rhinos are counted every two years in Kaziranga, and the estimate carried out over 24-27 March 2015, yielded a total of 2,401 ± 100 (ref 3). Of the adults, there were more female rhinos (882) than males (663). The total for the species as a whole in India and Nepal is 3,555, according to WWF (ref 1). So it is clear just how important Kaziranga NP is for the preservation of this species, as well as for the many other animals in the park. The good news, is that despite the threat of poaching the rhino population is increasing, with numbers up considerably from a figure of 1,672 in 1999.

Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) mother and calf

The best way to see and photograph the rhinos is on top of an elephant. The working elephants and their mahouts wait patiently for tourists to climb aboard them (below).

Whilst sitting atop an elephant is certainly the best and safest way to view the wildlife, I found it surprising uncomfortable! My legs did not open wide enough to straddle the wide body of the beast!

A total of 35 mammalian species have been recorded from the park. Apart, from the rhinos, two other iconic species which can be seen in abundance are Indian elephants (Elephas maximus indicus) and Wild water buffaloes (Bubalus arnee). There are well over a thousand wild Indian elephants in the park, and it was a joy to see them up close, such as crossing the road (below).

Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) crossing road in Kaziranga NP

I felt a bit sorry for the working elephants, but they seem to be well cared for and it was nice to see them having a bath in the river.

Without the elephants to ride on, it would not be possible to walk through the elephant grass, or wade through the marshes. Did I mention the tigers?!

Elephant ride through long grass in early morning

My next favourite mammal was the wild water buffaloes, of which there were 1,666 in 2001, so maybe more today. These are much bigger and more feisty than the domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), with which they can interbreed. The males have an impressive set of horns.

Wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) male crossing road

They are a sort of mobile snack shack for flocks of Jungle myna birds, which perch on top of them, looking to ticks I suppose.

Wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) with Jungle Mynas

It was great fun to see these wild buffaloes enjoying a mud bath! This photo also shows the close association between buffaloes and cattle egrets; the birds follow the buffaloes around pouncing on any insects disturbed by the large bovids.

There are a number of species of deer in the park, but for me the most beautiful were the barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii syn. Cervus duvaucelii), or swamp deer.

Eastern Swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii ranjitsinhii) mixed herd

There are three subspecies of this lovely deer in India, and the ones present in Kaziranga NP are Eastern swamp deer, R. d. ranjitsinhi (Grooves 1982), of which there are reportedly about 700 present. The females are smaller than the males – stags can weigh up to 280 kg (below) – and the young deer are spotted (see above).

Eastern Swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii ranjitsinhii) male

The jungle mynas also provide a tick-pecking service to the deer as well as the buffaloes!

Barasingha or Swamp deer female with Jungle mynas

The deer are keeping a sharp lookout in the following photo and there is a very good reason for them to be wary and alert!

The reason is of course is the Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)! Tiger numbers have been increasing in the park which now boasts one of the highest densities of tiger in India. There are believed to be more than 125 in Kaziranga NP, out of a total of 167 tigers counted in Assam (ref 6).

In the short time I spent there, I saw tigers on two separate days. We were said to be very lucky and indeed it was a huge privilege to see these animals in a such a magnificent setting.

It was amazing to see how exited people were – me included! – to see a tiger for the first time, which gives me a little hope for their long term future.

It is said that the reason that the tigers are doing so well here is the relative freedom from poaching in Kaziranga NP as well as the abundance of game for them to hunt. In a world full of so many horror stories involving wildlife destruction, it is a pleasure to be able to finish this travelogue on a positive note.

The park was officially declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and it certainly lives up to this recommendation.