Lady Curzon, wife of the then British Viceroy to India, visited Kaziranga in the winter of 1904. Unfortunately, contrary to her expectations of seeing the great Rhino itself, she could only find a few of its hoof marks. Struck by its perilous state she impressed upon her husband Lord Curzon, the need to save the Rhino. Today a 100 years later, in what can be called this Century’s Greatest Conservation Success Story, the Rhino population at 1600 is the single largest in the world! This story sends a loud and clear message to the entire world – that with strong public and political will and collective action of conservation communities, there is hope yet for other critically endangered species across the globe.

Kaziranga is one of the largest Protected Areas in India and one of the most significant conserved forest areas on the earth. From the time it was declared as a Proposed Reserve Forest for the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), it has become an exceptional model in conservation, also providing an ideal habitat for numerous other threatened species. Kaziranga is an outstanding example of the ongoing eco-biological processes in the evolution and development of the flood plain ecosystem and its plant and animal communities. It is a symbol for the dedicated commitment of the people who work ceaselessly to protect and preserve this richly diverse biological heritage. Kaziranga has justly earned its place as the flag bearer among all the wildlife conservation efforts across the globe. Into its hundredth year of existence, the tradition continues.