Kaziranga National Park

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that night safari at wildlife sanctuaries was in fashion globally as he sought to dismiss the controversy over his jeep ride along with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev at the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) after dusk. Speaking to reporters at the end of the three-day 'Chintan Shivir', Sarma claimed that no law in the country, including those for the protection of wildlife, prohibit entry into forest areas after sunset. "Going to wildlife sanctuaries at night is in fashion across the world. Places like Singapore have been doing it," he said. The controversy over the jeep safari with the Sadhguru is, in fact, creating a negative impression about the state and its people as it shows Assam inviting an esteemed guest and then creating a fuss over it, he said. With Sarma by his side, Sadhguru drove the vehicle on Saturday evening to tour a part of the national park along with other dignitaries. Sadhguru was here for the inauguration of the ..

A police complaint was lodged on Sunday against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, spiritual leader Sadhguru and others for allegedly violating wildlife protection laws during their jeep safari after dusk in the Kaziranga Nation Park the previous day. The complaint was filed at the Bokakhat Police Station in Golaghat district by people living in villages on the fringe of the national park, a senior officer said. "We have started an enquiry into the issue. As the KNP falls under the forest department, we have asked for a status report on the allegations from the divisional forest officer of the park," he said. When contacted, an official at the KNP, who wished not to be named, expressed his difficulties to comment on the matter at this stage. "People have a right to make an allegation, and based on it, an enquiry will be conducted. But before the matter is looked into, we cannot make any comment on it," he said. On the allegation of violation of wildlife protection laws, the

Poachers chopped off the horn without killing a sub-adult rhino in the national park

The Crime Investigation Range of the Forest department in Assam's Biswanath district and police arrested poachers who were planning kill a one horned rhino in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve

A census in Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has found that the national park has at least 868 swamp deer including 173 male, 557 female and 138 yearlings.However, there was a slight decrease in the deer population in comparison to 907 counted in 2018. "This is mainly due to two high floods in the intervening period of 2019 and 2020," said the park authority.Territory-wise, 786 under Eastern Assam Division, 62 under Biswanath Wildlife Division and 20 under Nagaon Wildlife Division have been recorded by experienced and trained wildlife experts from outside the forest department.In the process, 29 enumerators, 112 forest personnel was directly involved in the exercise.At the same time, counting of wetland birds was also conducted from December 21 to December 27 encompassing the whole Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. Total 66,776 numbers of birds of 126 species were enumerated using the Point Count method.Out of this, 42,205 numbers of birds were counted in the Kaziranga ...

Book review of Wild and Wilful: Tales of 15 Iconic Indian Species

The Kaziranga National Park (KNP), famed for one-horned rhinoceros, was opened to tourists on Wednesday, after being closed for seven months due to COVID-19 pandemic. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal formally reopened the KNP and expressed hope that this will revive the states tourism sector which has been severely hit by the pandemic. The KNP remains shut for around five months every year since April-end during the monsoon season when floods also occur in the state. The Park was closed in March this year after the government imposed lockdown. Sonowal said that unemployed youths in and around Kaziranga would find meaningful employment again through jeep safari and other tourism-related activities. He said that the state government had provided a one- time financial assistance to people engaged in the jeep safari to alleviate their economic stress brought by COVID-19. The state government would take more such initiatives in future for providing succour to the p

The park's aggressive policing is, of course, controversial, but the results are clear

As the Assam floods threatened the animals of Kaziranga National Park, one organisation came to their aid