Assam seems to be the favorite child of nature. Its amazing wildlife with a variety of flora and fauna, not seen elsewhere in the country, makes the state one of the most attractive wildlife destinations of India. About 41 listed endangered wildlife species are found in Assam that includes the pride of Assam—the one horned rhinoceros.
Though the entire Assam is a big wildlife hotspot, these are the key ones: Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Orang National Park and Nameri National Park.
Kaziranga National Park: Much famous for the one horned rhinoceros, the Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spread over an area of 430 sq km, the national park is rich with elephant grass that hides several attractions of the wild including tiger, elephant, panther, bear, hoolock gibbon, jungle cat, and, of course, the one horned rhinoceros. Actually, Kaziranga has the largest population of the one-horned rhinoceroses in the world.
Manas National Park: Located in the Barpeta District of Assam, the Manas National Park is spread over an area of 200 sq km and is rich with simul, udal, bohera, kanchan and khoir trees. The national park boasts of 55 mammal species, 50 reptilian species, 380 bird species, and 3 amphibian species. The pride of Manas is tigers, rhinoceroses, elephants, and buffaloes. Much like the Kaziranga, the Mans National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Orang National Park: Spread over an area of 78.81 sq km, the Orang National Park is located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River. Known as “Mini Kaziranga”, Orang was declared a national park in 1999. Among the chief attractions of the park are: Royal Bengal Tiger, Wild Boar, Asiatic Elephant, and Hog Deer. The park also boasts of an amazing species of birds including: Spot-Bellied Pelican, Wooly-Necked Stork, and Pallas’s Fishing Eagle. Orang has also a good population of the reptilian species, including the cobras and pythons.
Nameri National Park: Located in the Sontipur District of Assam--at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas--the Nameri National Park is spread over an area of 200 sq km and is bifurcated by the Jia Bhoroli River. The second tiger reserve of Assam, Nameri was declared a national park in 1998. Interestingly, though the national park is also a tiger reserve, it has the highest density of wild elephants in India. In fact, sighting herds of wild animals inside the park is rather common. Other wild attractions of the park are: clouded leopard, capped langur, tiger leopard, sloth bear, and white winged wood duck.
