• Kaziranga reopens to record tourist footfall
    Times of India | 3 October 2022
  • Guwahati: Amid enormous pressure from the hotel and tourism industry, the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNP&TR) was thrown open to visitors on Sunday, two days after monsoon officially withdrew from the northeast.

    The park authorities were elated at the overwhelming response from tourists though were allowed to take jeep safari in only two forest ranges – Kohora and Bagori.

    On Day 1, altogether 545 tourists entered Mihimukh under the Kohora range (522 Indians and 23 foreigners). In Bagori, 299 visitors (296 Indians and three foreigners) enjoyed a trip to the UNESCO world heritage site, famous for one-horned rhinos.

    Agaratoli and Burhapahar, two other ranges, will be opened next. Bagori is known for assured sightings of wildlife from a close range.

    KNP&TR director Jatindra Sarma said the park authorities are mulling a proposal to fully open the park and allow the elephant safari up to the interiors by the first week of November.

    “We are hopeful of a great tourist season ahead. We are already receiving a lot of queries from tourists in the country and abroad. On Sunday, most of the visitors preferred to go inside the park in the evening shift from 3pm to 5pm,” Sarma told TOI.

    He said some areas deep inside the park are still inundated owing to which the authorities are not allowing elephant safari. Jeep safaris are confined to only motorable roads. “Though we are planning to open the elephant safari from November 1, it may have to be preponed by five days given the inclement weather,” Sarma added.

    KNPTR data showed that there are 2,613 one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga at present. Considering a significant decline in rhino poaching incidents in the park, which has been limited to only one this year, the park officials are hopeful of the arrival of more tourists. The KNPTR recorded an all-time high revenue in the last tourist season by earning Rs 6 crore, with a footfall of 2.75 lakh between October to May this year.
  • Link to this news (Times of India)