History of Kaziranga National Park
Encyclopedia
The history of Kaziranga National Park
in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam
, India
, can be traced back to the beginning of the twentieth century, in 1904. It now is a World Heritage Site
and hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses, tigers, and many other endangered animals.
In the early nineteenth century, the area around what is now Kaziranga National Park was not well settled. It was notorious for wild animals, malaria
, frequent floods, and unpredictable changes of the course of the Brahmaputra River
. Historical records of the forest called Kaziranga date to the seventeenth century. Several local legends relate to the origin of its name, but historians suggest that the name relate to Karbi, a woman who ruled the region at one time. With the rise of the tea industry
in Assam, slowly, the forests in the area were cleared for settlements and tea plantations. The local villagers practiced some slash and burn
cultivation, while the British
established small permanent colonies for tea cultivation.
The history of protection in Kaziranga dates back to the early twentieth century, when Baroness Mary Victoria Leiter Curzon
, an American who was the wife of Lord Curzon
, the Viceroy of India, first visited the Kaziranga area in 1904.
Kaziranga had been renowned for its rhinoceros
population, however, during her trips in the region, Baroness Curzon failed to see any rhinoceros, seeing only some hoof
marks.
It is rumored that the noted Assamese animal tracker, Balaram Hazarika
, showed Baroness Curzon around Kaziranga and impressed upon her the urgent need for conservation of the wildlife. Concerned about the dwindling numbers of rhinoceros, she asked her husband to take the necessary action to save the rhinoceros, which he did on November 4, 1904 when he proposed the creation of a reserve in Kaziranga.
Thus the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was created on 57,273.6 acre
s (232 km²) of land, on June 1, 1905 by notification of the Chief Commissioner of the area.
A proposal soon was made to extend the Kaziranga Reserve Forest by including a piece of land to the east of the existing reserve toward the Bokakhat Dhansirimukh road. Local people objected to this as their rights regarding such things as grazing, fishing, collection of cane, thatch, and firewood would be in danger. The European community of tea planters also objected to the proposal, mainly on the grounds that the area available for big game hunts would be greatly reduced. Another objection was that during the rainy season there had been a good deal of boating down the Diphlu river and the Mora Dhansiri river through which tea from the neighboring tea gardens was taken to the Brahmaputra river
. At last with the interventions of the forest settlement officer and deputy commissioner, Sibsagar District Major A. Playfair, an area of 13,506 acres (55 km²) was added to the Kaziranga reserve vide notification No.295 R dated 28 January 1913.
In later years another proposal was made to add extra land toward the north of the reserve, to provide shelter for the wild animals during flooding, as the ground was comparatively higher, and also to protect the wild animals from the danger of possible epidemics spreading through the domestic livestock. The presence of a large number of domestic buffaloes belonging to Nepali grazers in the proposed area caused much delay in the final making of the Reserved Forest, however, the chief commissioner decided in favour of making the reserve, and finally, an area of 37,529 acres (151 km²) of land extending the Kaziranga Reserve up to the Brahmaputra River was notified vide notification No.3560 R dated the 26 July 1917.
Additions to the protected area continued and an area of 151 acre (0.61107586 km²) was added further to the Kaziranga reserve vide notification No.FOF/WL/512/66/17 on 7 April 1967 extending the reserve to the south of the National Highway No.37 to provide a corridor for the animals to cross over safely to the Karbi Anglong Hills during flooding.
was taken up by the then Chief Conservator of Forests, P. Baruah. To achieve this objective, "The Assam National Park Act of 1968" was passed by the Government of Assam
, as there was no provision to create a National Park under the existing Forest Regulations. Kaziranga National Park was established on February 11, 1974, with an area of 429.93 square kilometres vide notification No.FOR/WL/722/68.
Later several new areas were added to the National Park. The first addition (area 43.79 km² on 28 May 1977), the second addition (area 6.47 km² vide preliminary notification on 10 July 1985), third addition (area 0.69 km² on 31 May 1985), fourth addition (area 0.89 km² on 3 August 1988), fifth addition (area 1.15 km² on 13 June 1985), and the sixth additions (area 376.50 km² on 7 August 1999) were made.
Two reserve forests Panbari 1894 acres (8 km²)) and Kukurakata 3936 acres (16 km²) also came under the administrative control of the Kaziranga National Park.
The park formally became a Reserve Forest
in 1908, a game sanctuary in 1916, and it was closed officially for shooting in 1926. Kaziranga was thrown open to visitors in 1938. After the independence of India, Kaziranga was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary
in 1950. In 1954 the Assam Legislative Assembly gave the rhinoceros legal protection through the Assam (Rhinoceros) Bill that laid down heavy penalties for killing any of them. In 1974 Kaziranga was designated a National Park
, the first national park in the state of Assam. UNESCO
declared Kaziranga a World Heritage Site
in 1985.
Additional lands have been incorporated into the park, and a proposal to add some 454.50 square kilometres has been put forward to include the adjoining section of the Brahmaputra River to the north and part of the Mikir Hills
to the south, to provide a protected refuge where animals may take shelter during floods.
Before 1950 the tourist facilities were limited and the accommodations consisted mainly of a Public Works Department
inspection bungalow at Kaziranga and a Forest rest house at Baguri. These accommodations were found highly inadequate to meet the demands of increasing number of visitors to the park. Solutions implemented for this problem were one visitor’s camp at Kaziranga and later on two tourist lodge, constructed by the department on a small hillock at Kohora as well as one Forest Rest House constructed at Arimora. The management of these two Tourist Lodges was handed over to the State Tourism Department in 1963 after the creation of this new department under the Government of Assam.
Unlike Manas National Park
in Assam, the ULFA separatist movement in Assam did not affect the park's wildlife or tourism adversely, in fact, it has been reported that the ULFA "tried" and executed rhinoceros poachers
in the late 1980s.
Severe losses to the number of wildlife occurred during floods, events worth mention include the floods of 1973 in which several animals were killed. In 1988 a devastating flood ravaged the park in which 70% of the park was submerged under water killing 38 rhinoceros, including 23 calves, 1,050 deer, 69 wild boar, three baby elephants, two tigers, and numerous smaller species. In 1996 44 rhinoceros were killed by floods. In 1998 due to exceptionally heavy rainfall the Brahmaputra River flooded and parts of the park were under 6 metres of water. More than a square kilometre area of the floodplain was washed away; an estimated 652 animals, including 42 rhinoceroses, were lost. During that time WWF
-India provided material assistance and the Indian army
constructed ten islands on high ground for wildlife.
The park celebrated its centenary with much fanfare in 2005, inviting descendants of Baroness and Lord Curzon for the celebrations, and combining the celebrations with the annual Kaziranga Elephant Festival.
Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. A World Heritage Site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses. Kaziranga boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was...
in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, can be traced back to the beginning of the twentieth century, in 1904. It now is a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
and hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses, tigers, and many other endangered animals.
Reserve Forest
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, frequent floods, and unpredictable changes of the course of the Brahmaputra River
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
. Historical records of the forest called Kaziranga date to the seventeenth century. Several local legends relate to the origin of its name, but historians suggest that the name relate to Karbi, a woman who ruled the region at one time. With the rise of the tea industry
Assam tea
Assam is a black tea named after the region of its production, Assam, in India. Assam tea is manufactured specifically from the plant Camellia sinensis var. assamica . This tea, most of which is grown at or near sea level, is known for its body, briskness, malty flavor, and strong, bright color...
in Assam, slowly, the forests in the area were cleared for settlements and tea plantations. The local villagers practiced some slash and burn
Slash and burn
Slash-and-burn is an agricultural technique which involves cutting and burning of forests or woodlands to create fields. It is subsistence agriculture that typically uses little technology or other tools. It is typically part of shifting cultivation agriculture, and of transhumance livestock...
cultivation, while the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
established small permanent colonies for tea cultivation.
The history of protection in Kaziranga dates back to the early twentieth century, when Baroness Mary Victoria Leiter Curzon
Mary Curzon, Baroness Curzon of Kedleston
Mary Victoria Curzon, Baroness Curzon of Kedleston, CI was a British-American peeress who was Vicereine of India, as the wife of Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy of India.-In America:...
, an American who was the wife of Lord Curzon
George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston
George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC , known as The Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and as The Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman who was Viceroy of India and Foreign Secretary...
, the Viceroy of India, first visited the Kaziranga area in 1904.
Kaziranga had been renowned for its rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
population, however, during her trips in the region, Baroness Curzon failed to see any rhinoceros, seeing only some hoof
Hoof
A hoof , plural hooves or hoofs , is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, strengthened by a thick horny covering. The hoof consists of a hard or rubbery sole, and a hard wall formed by a thick nail rolled around the tip of the toe. The weight of the animal is normally borne by both the sole...
marks.
It is rumored that the noted Assamese animal tracker, Balaram Hazarika
Balaram Hazarika
Balaram Hazarika is a noted Assamese animal tracker who showed Lady Curzon around Kaziranga and impressed upon her the urgency of wildlife conservation...
, showed Baroness Curzon around Kaziranga and impressed upon her the urgent need for conservation of the wildlife. Concerned about the dwindling numbers of rhinoceros, she asked her husband to take the necessary action to save the rhinoceros, which he did on November 4, 1904 when he proposed the creation of a reserve in Kaziranga.
Thus the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was created on 57,273.6 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (232 km²) of land, on June 1, 1905 by notification of the Chief Commissioner of the area.
A proposal soon was made to extend the Kaziranga Reserve Forest by including a piece of land to the east of the existing reserve toward the Bokakhat Dhansirimukh road. Local people objected to this as their rights regarding such things as grazing, fishing, collection of cane, thatch, and firewood would be in danger. The European community of tea planters also objected to the proposal, mainly on the grounds that the area available for big game hunts would be greatly reduced. Another objection was that during the rainy season there had been a good deal of boating down the Diphlu river and the Mora Dhansiri river through which tea from the neighboring tea gardens was taken to the Brahmaputra river
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
. At last with the interventions of the forest settlement officer and deputy commissioner, Sibsagar District Major A. Playfair, an area of 13,506 acres (55 km²) was added to the Kaziranga reserve vide notification No.295 R dated 28 January 1913.
In later years another proposal was made to add extra land toward the north of the reserve, to provide shelter for the wild animals during flooding, as the ground was comparatively higher, and also to protect the wild animals from the danger of possible epidemics spreading through the domestic livestock. The presence of a large number of domestic buffaloes belonging to Nepali grazers in the proposed area caused much delay in the final making of the Reserved Forest, however, the chief commissioner decided in favour of making the reserve, and finally, an area of 37,529 acres (151 km²) of land extending the Kaziranga Reserve up to the Brahmaputra River was notified vide notification No.3560 R dated the 26 July 1917.
Additions to the protected area continued and an area of 151 acre (0.61107586 km²) was added further to the Kaziranga reserve vide notification No.FOF/WL/512/66/17 on 7 April 1967 extending the reserve to the south of the National Highway No.37 to provide a corridor for the animals to cross over safely to the Karbi Anglong Hills during flooding.
National Park
The proposal to declare Kaziranga as a National ParkNational park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
was taken up by the then Chief Conservator of Forests, P. Baruah. To achieve this objective, "The Assam National Park Act of 1968" was passed by the Government of Assam
Government of Assam
The Government of Assam is the provincial governing authority of the state of Assam in the Republic of India.It consists of the Governor as the head of the state, who is nominated by the Government of India. The head of government is the Chief Minister, who is the leader of the group that commands...
, as there was no provision to create a National Park under the existing Forest Regulations. Kaziranga National Park was established on February 11, 1974, with an area of 429.93 square kilometres vide notification No.FOR/WL/722/68.
Later several new areas were added to the National Park. The first addition (area 43.79 km² on 28 May 1977), the second addition (area 6.47 km² vide preliminary notification on 10 July 1985), third addition (area 0.69 km² on 31 May 1985), fourth addition (area 0.89 km² on 3 August 1988), fifth addition (area 1.15 km² on 13 June 1985), and the sixth additions (area 376.50 km² on 7 August 1999) were made.
Two reserve forests Panbari 1894 acres (8 km²)) and Kukurakata 3936 acres (16 km²) also came under the administrative control of the Kaziranga National Park.
The park formally became a Reserve Forest
Reserve forest
You may be looking for forest reserve, a generic term associated with protected forest areas, which is also used as a specific term for protected forests in some countries...
in 1908, a game sanctuary in 1916, and it was closed officially for shooting in 1926. Kaziranga was thrown open to visitors in 1938. After the independence of India, Kaziranga was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife sanctuaries of India
India has over 441 animal sanctuaries, referred to as Wildlife Sanctuaries . Among these, the 28 Tiger Reserves are governed by Project Tiger, and are of special significance in the conservation of the tiger. Some wildlife sanctuaries are specifically named Bird Sanctuary, eg. Keoladeo National...
in 1950. In 1954 the Assam Legislative Assembly gave the rhinoceros legal protection through the Assam (Rhinoceros) Bill that laid down heavy penalties for killing any of them. In 1974 Kaziranga was designated a National Park
National parks of India
This is a list of all national parks of India. India's first national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park. By 1970, India only had five national parks...
, the first national park in the state of Assam. UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
declared Kaziranga a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1985.
Additional lands have been incorporated into the park, and a proposal to add some 454.50 square kilometres has been put forward to include the adjoining section of the Brahmaputra River to the north and part of the Mikir Hills
Mikir Hills
Mikir Hills are a group of hills located to the south of the Kaziranga National Park. It is part of the Karbi Anglong plateau.-See also:* Mikir...
to the south, to provide a protected refuge where animals may take shelter during floods.
Before 1950 the tourist facilities were limited and the accommodations consisted mainly of a Public Works Department
Public Works Department
Many governments worldwide have had departments or ministries referred to as the Public Works Department either formally or informally.In Australia: -New South Wales -*Office of Public Works and Services, New South Wales...
inspection bungalow at Kaziranga and a Forest rest house at Baguri. These accommodations were found highly inadequate to meet the demands of increasing number of visitors to the park. Solutions implemented for this problem were one visitor’s camp at Kaziranga and later on two tourist lodge, constructed by the department on a small hillock at Kohora as well as one Forest Rest House constructed at Arimora. The management of these two Tourist Lodges was handed over to the State Tourism Department in 1963 after the creation of this new department under the Government of Assam.
Unlike Manas National Park
Manas National Park
Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a Wildlife Sanctuary, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam, India. Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National park in Bhutan...
in Assam, the ULFA separatist movement in Assam did not affect the park's wildlife or tourism adversely, in fact, it has been reported that the ULFA "tried" and executed rhinoceros poachers
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
in the late 1980s.
Severe losses to the number of wildlife occurred during floods, events worth mention include the floods of 1973 in which several animals were killed. In 1988 a devastating flood ravaged the park in which 70% of the park was submerged under water killing 38 rhinoceros, including 23 calves, 1,050 deer, 69 wild boar, three baby elephants, two tigers, and numerous smaller species. In 1996 44 rhinoceros were killed by floods. In 1998 due to exceptionally heavy rainfall the Brahmaputra River flooded and parts of the park were under 6 metres of water. More than a square kilometre area of the floodplain was washed away; an estimated 652 animals, including 42 rhinoceroses, were lost. During that time WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
-India provided material assistance and the Indian army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
constructed ten islands on high ground for wildlife.
The park celebrated its centenary with much fanfare in 2005, inviting descendants of Baroness and Lord Curzon for the celebrations, and combining the celebrations with the annual Kaziranga Elephant Festival.