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Attempts to find out the
number of rhinoceroses in Kaziranga were made in 1957, 1961 and 1963. But
the method used was very crude and were aimed at finding out the number of
rhinoceroses only. During these estimates the number of rhinoceroses in
Kaziranga varied from 250-300. Systematic and detail censuses of the
larger mammals in Kaziranga were carried out only in 1966, 1972,
1978,1984, 1991, 1993 and 1999. These figures reveal an overall increase
of population of all the species of animals, over a period of thirty-three
years from 1966-1999. There is an increase in the population of rhino, the
prime animal towards which the conservation efforts are oriented along
with other species like Buffalo, Tiger etc. It has been generally observed
that in almost all the censuses conducted so far, the Bagori block,
situated on the western end of the park has the maximum concentration of
almost all the animals.
Elephants are great wanderers, and have been traditionally using Kaziranga
as their seasonal halt before they continue their onward journey into the
Karbi-Anglong hills. However, at a given point of time there can be more
than 1,000 elephants in the Park which is one-of the highest
sub-populations in the country !
1.THE GREAT INDIAN
ONE HORNED RHINOCEROS (Rhinoceros unicornis)
:
The distribution of the Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros in the world is
at present confined to some parts in Nepal, North Bengal and Assam.
Kaziranga National Park has the distinction of having the world's largest
population of this species.
It prefers swampy areas
with extensive grasslands, the main food of the rhinoceros being grasses.
Occasionally during lean period it also feeds on Water hyacinth (Eichornia
crassipes), fruits of some trees such as Trewia nudiflora,
Phyllanthus emblica, Zizyphus jujuba etc. and tender leaves of some
shrubs, herbs and seedlings of various trees species.
The Rhinoceros is a solitary animal and territorial rivalries have been
seldom reported. The association of two animals is confined to mother and
calf or a pair of mating Rhinos. During the pre-monsoon season though,
aggregations of up to 11 numbers of Rhinoceros have been seen in the same
wallow. Their association is confined only to the sharing of the wallow.
The rhinos inhabiting the same area develop some sort of familiarity and
do not exhibit any intra-specific aggressive behavior under normal
circumstances. But the presence of a female in estrous in the area might
provoke fighting between two contending males. Similarly the intrusion of
a newcomer into a particular territory in search of a female in estrous
may induce fighting.
During the pre-monsoon and the monsoon the rhinos spend most of their time
during the day in the wallows. During the night they sleep on dry grounds.
During winter, wallowing activities are markedly reduced and they graze
for longer hours both in the morning and evening. The rhinos make their
stay around such wallows and move to the nearby areas for feeding.
Normally they do not migrate for long distances. Only during flood, they
are forced to seek shelter away from their normal ranges. The rhinos have
a peculiar habit of defecating in regular dung heaps. More than one rhino
can use the same dung heap for a given period of time. Another habit of
the rhino is that it always uses well laid out tracks or 'Dandis'
from its wallowing place to the feeding grounds and vice-versa while
roaming in the grasslands. Also, it always walks on such tracks, which are
tunneled by them and laid out into well-beaten tracks by constant and
regular use.
There is no fixed breeding season for the rhinos. Young ones are born at
any time of the year after a gestation period of 16 months. The calf
generally stays with the mother for 1 to 2 years or till the next calf is
born. The interval between two births is about 4 years. Female rhinos with
calf are more alert and aggressive than others. The only natural enemy of
the rhinoceros is the tiger. The tiger attacks the young calves only. The
much mystified horn of the rhinoceros is not a horn at all in the true
sense and is neither an instrument of attack or defense. It is a
conglomeration of Keratin tissues grown into a very thick and compact mass
on the skin above the nasal bone.
2. THE ASIATIC ELEPHANT (Elephas maximus):-
The elephant herds feed during the early hours of the morning and in the
afternoon up to the evening. The hot part of the day is spent in the shade
of the tree forests and sometimes continues to feed on the branches, barks
and leaves of the trees. They are very fond of water and if sufficient
water is available nearby, they will spend the day by bathing and playing
in water. They generally sleep after midnight or during midday for a short
period. They take rest either by sleeping or lying on the ground stretched
on one side.
The census of elephants was carried out in Kaziranga National Park during
1993, 1997 and 2002. The data shows that the elephant population of the
Park does not remain static throughout the year. Some of them migrate to
the adjoining Karbi Anglong Hills at the onset of the monsoon. The
well-defined migration routes are through Panbari Reserve Forests and
Kanchanjuri. Considering their long migratory route from Kaziranga to
Karbi Anglong and Intanki in Nagaland, the Assam Government has already
established the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve that covers an
area of 3,270 sq kms. This shall greatly help in long-term survival of
genetically viable population of this species.
3. THE ASIATIC WILD BUFFALO (Bubalus bubalis)
The present distribution of the wild buffalo in the Indian subcontinent is
confined to the grassy jungles in Assam and a few pockets in Orissa,
Chattisgarh and in the neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bhutan. Tall
grass jungles, reed brakes combined with swamps and ample water provide an
ideal habitat for the buffalo. The wild buffalo lives in herds of varying
sizes except the solitary males. The herd generally consists of one
dominant adult male, immature juvenile males and cows and calves of all
ages. The social groupings of buffalo are quite cohesive and the most
cohesive unit is the cow herd with calves and juveniles. The wild buffalo
feeds and moves during afternoon and early part of the evening and in the
early hours of the morning. During the hot hours of the day they live in
mud wallows or in water. The herds remain resident in the vicinity of a
permanent water source for prolonged period. They move on to the vicinity
of another water source only when fodder becomes scarce. The solitary and
the younger bulls may however wander about. Seasonal movements are not
very much pronounced but in Kaziranga they move on to the higher grounds
in the central portion of the park during the monsoon. The buffalo is
typically a grazer but it makes considerable use of browse during the
monsoon season, when the grass lands are submerged by flood.
4.THE ROYAL BENGAL TIGER (Panthera tigris)
The tiger is widely distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent with a
high degree of adaptability. The tiger is a solitary animal. Association
of more than one tiger is mainly of the mother with half grown cubs and
that of a mating pair. The home range of a particular tiger is confined to
a definite territory varying in size, depending on available prey species,
cover and water. The tiger zealously protects its territory against any
intruder and marks its limit with signs of scraping on the ground and on
trees, scent, spraying and through vocalisation by announcing its
presence. However there may be overlap of territories especially of male
and females and even transient may utilize the territory of a tiger
temporarily as long as there is no confrontation. According to research
work carried out by Dr. Ullas Karanth, Kaziranga has the highest
ecological density of tigers among the major protected area in India. It
may be difficult to spot one, because of the tall grasses that provide
excellent camouflage but their presence can be felt everywhere by way of
pug marks, kills and territorial markings.
5.The
Eastern Swamp Deer (Cervus duvauceli ranjitsinghi)
The swamp deer live in
large herds and prefer the open areas around the waterbodies or Beels in
Kaziranga. They prefer grazing during the early morning and late evening
hours. The day time is spent lying down in forests in the open areas under
the sun during winter. During summer they may be found resting in shade or
wallowing in the periphery of the Beels. The rutting season of the swamp
deer shows a marked variation from area to area. In Kaziranga the rut
begins from the early part of May lasting till about October-November.
Hinds participate actively at the age of about two years and the first
fawn is born approximately at the age of three years. Only one fawn is
born at a time. Apart from human beings, the main enemy of swamp deer is
the tiger. Floods also take a toll of the young fawns. During the 1991
census 559 individuals were counted. The highest concentration was to be
in Baguri and Haldhibari block.
OTHER ANIMALS
1.SAMBAR (Cervus
unicolor):
The Sambar is the largest deer of the subcontinent. It is predominantly a
forest animal and is distributed throughout India. It may come out in the
open only at night for grazing. However in undisturbed areas it may be
found in the open during daytime also. It is habitually a solitary animal
and the typical herds consisting of 5 to 6 individuals at the most may
consist of the hinds, yearlings and the fawns. The stag generally move
alone, commanding a territory. In Kaziranga they are confined to higher
grounds, very rarely coming out in the open grasslands. This can also be
attributed to their dietary requirements where there is more intake of
leaf and browse as compared to grasses.
2. THE HOG DEER (Axis porcinus):
The hog deer is distributed throughout the Indus, Ganges and the
Brahmaputra Valley in the sub-continent and is not found in central and
south India. Its preferred habitat is reed beds and grasslands bordering
streams and lakes and avoids forest areas. It is usually a solitary animal
but is found to congregate up to 100 or more individuals in the feeding
grounds around the waterbodies or ‘Beels’ in Kaziranga.
3.BARKING DEER (Muntiacus muntjac):
The barking deer or the Muntjac is distributed throughout the Indian
subcontinent. Its preferred habitat is the forest areas near permanent
water sources. The animal both browses and grazes. It spends most part of
the day in forest areas coming out to the open to drink and graze in the
evening. It is a solitary animal. Sometimes they may be seen in pairs of
male and female or female and juvenile. Rutting takes place mailny during
winter.
4.THE WILD PIG (Sus scrofa)
The wild Pig is found all over the Indian sub-continent. It inhabits both
forest areas and grasslands. Pigs live in sounders consisting of generally
4-6 individuals. Larger groupings exceeding ten individuals, consisting of
rearing groups or sounders composed of a number of females and their
collective progenies are also not uncommon. The adult males are solitary
and join the sounders when the females are in estrus. The female has an
estrus cycle of about twenty-one days. The gestation period is about four
months and the number of young produced varies from 4-6.For dropping the
litters they build a nest with heaps of grasses over a crudely dug hole.
They are diurnal in habit and found to be active till late hours of the
day. They rest in the late afternoon exhibiting increased activity in the
early evening. Pigs are omnivorous in their diet feeding on crops, roots,
tubers, fruits, insects and carrion etc. They are able to dig extensively
to acquire tender roots and tubers. The utilization of the habitat by pig
is as intensive as that of the elephant, which enables them to adapt to
varying conditions. In Kaziranga they are commonly sighted around the
waterbodies or ‘Beels’ as well as in the forested areas. They seem to
avoid the tall reed grasses. They love to dig up roots, and after a
grassland fire, they are the first ones to colonise the area for feeding.
There is not much evidence of leopard (Panthera pardus) in the
interior of the park. However leopards are quite common in the nearby
Karbi Anglong Hills. The Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is commonly
found in the wooded areas of the park near Kanchanjuri, Bimoli, Kathpara,
Rangamotia etc. They are not sighted frequently due to their natural
habits. Estimated population of Sloth bear is about 40 - 50 in the
park.The Hoolock gibbons (Bunopithecus hoolock) visit the wooded
areas of the park near Kanchanjuri and Panbari R.F. Capped langur (Trachypithecus
pileatus) is also found commonly in this area. During 1999 census
operation, 139 capped langurs were found in the park. Rhesus macaques (Macaca
mulatta), Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis) are also found
in the forested areas of the park. However their number is small. Asiatic
brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus macrourus), Hog badger (Aratonyx
collaris), Fishing cat (Felis viverrina), are some of the
lesser known and rare species found in and around the Park. Amongst the
reptilian fauna, python (Python molurus), Common (Naja naja)
and King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), Monitor lizard (Varanus spp.)
and several rare and endangered species of tortoises and turtles can be
found.
Among the aquatic fauna, the most intersting are the Gangetic dolphin (Platinista
gangetica) which are a common sight in the Dipholu river during the
monsoons. With their populations decimating in other parts of the country,
Kaziranga can serve to provide an important refuge to this mammal.
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