Guwahati Oct 1: Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) reopened for tourists on Tuesday after being closed for five months due to the monsoon season, and it brought an exciting start with the sighting of a Royal Bengal tiger.
On the very first day of reopening, Ashwini Borkotoky, a tourist from Upper Assam’s Jorhat, was lucky to spot the majestic big cat during a jeep safari near the Bhoisamari Beel area.
Borkotoky initially mistook the tiger for a deer but quickly realized the incredible sight they were witnessing. The tiger remained in view for about 15 seconds before retreating into the wild.
He expressed his excitement, noting how rare it is to see a tiger in Kaziranga compared to other national parks like Ranthambore and Jim Corbett.
The sighting was not only a thrilling experience for Borkotoky but also for the accompanying tourist guide,
Kaku Saikia, who shared that seeing a tiger adds a special sense of fulfilment to a safari in Kaziranga, which is famed for its rich wildlife, including rhinos, elephants, and wild buffalo. Both the tourist and the guide expressed pride in the sighting, hoping it heralds more tiger encounters as the season progresses.
On December 31, 2021, a tourist from Punjab, Jessica Agarwal, had a rare and exciting encounter with a big cat in Kaziranga National Park.
She spotted the majestic Royal Bengal tiger near a water body in the Central Range of the park, in the Bagori area. This sighting added to the thrill of her visit, as tiger sightings in Kaziranga are not as common as in some other parks. The presence of tigers in this iconic park, alongside its renowned population of one-horned rhinoceroses, enhances Kaziranga’s status as a biodiversity hotspot and a prime destination for wildlife enthusiasts.
Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve officially reopened for the new tourism season on Tuesday, with a formal ceremony led by Assam’s Environment & Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary at the Western Range in Bagori. The event marked the park’s reopening after the five-month monsoon closure, and was attended by notable figures including Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, Transport Minister Keshab Mahanta, and MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa.
In his address, Patowary appreciated the park’s conservation success, attributing it to the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He emphasized Kaziranga’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s leading wildlife destinations, inviting global tourists to explore its biodiversity. The event featured a traditional puja to bless the park and celebrate the new season.
Several important initiatives were launched during the reopening, including the donation of an animal rescue vehicle by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., aimed at aiding wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Additionally, a book titled A Practitioners Guide to Photographic Monitoring of Asian Elephants for Science and Conservation, authored by Dr. Varun Goswami, Dr. Divya Vasudev, and Parvathi K. Prasad, was released, offering valuable insights into elephant conservation.
To enhance the visitor experience, a wildlife-themed ECO SHOP was inaugurated at the Bagori Range campus, with proceeds supporting the welfare of forest staff and local communities. A medicinal plants sale counter was also introduced at Memorial Park, Kohora, under the Golaghat Social Forestry Division, promoting eco-tourism and sustainable development.
Tourists can now enjoy the park’s rich wildlife, including the famous one-horned rhinoceros, tigers, elephants, and numerous bird species. New activities such as hiking, trekking, and bird trails have been introduced to provide a deeper connection with the park’s natural beauty.
