Adventure & Wildlife Magazine - Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 Vol 2 | Issue 1 | Mar - May 2017 | Page 60

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
There are 123 country boats, 6 mechanized boats,
4 speed boats (OBM), 2 motor launches, 20 motor
vehicles and 47 departmental elephants to
assist the anti-poaching squad. There are some 800
personnel, which include about 200 forest guards, game
watchers, home guards, forest protection force, and
temporary staff who guard the park round the clock.
The foresters are provided with weapons, fixed and
mobile wireless stations and more than a hundred walkie-
talkies which helps in the anti-poaching activities and in
fighting against the poachers. With effective protection
methods the number of poaching cases has declined in
the park over the past few years.
tea gardens, and run-off from a petroleum refinery at
Numaligarh, pose a hazard to the ecology of the region
Invasive species such as Mimosa and wild rose have
posed a threat to the native plants in the region. To
control the growth and irradiation of invasive species,
research on biological methods for controlling weeds,
manual uprooting and weeding before seed settling are
carried out at regular intervals. Grassland management
techniques, such as controlled burning, are effected
annually to avoid forest fires.
Perennial flooding and heavy rains have resulted in death
of wild animals and caused damage to the conservation
infrastructures. To escape the water-logged areas, many
animals migrate to elevated regions outside the park
boundaries where they are susceptible to hunting, hit
by speeding vehicles, or subject to reprisals by villagers
for damaging their crops. To mitigate the losses, the
authorities have increased patrols, purchased additional
speedboats for patrol, and created artificial highlands
for shelter. Several corridors have been set up for the safe
passage of animals across National Highway-37 which
skirts around the southern boundary of the park. Travel
By Air to Guwahati/ Jorhat / Dibrugarh/ Silchar:
Most convenient way to reach Kohora is to take a flight
to Guwahati for all those coming from outside the
North-east India. Guwahati has regular flights to and
from Delhi, Kolkata, Imphal, Agartalla, Bagdogra, Di-
brugarh, Silchar and Jorhat. One can alight at Guwahati
and proceed by road to Kohora/ Bagori; and it may take
about 4-5 hours of road journey. Jorhat has flights from
Guwahati and Kolkata. One can alight at Jorhat, and
travel one and half hours to Kohora by road. Silchar is
well connected with Guwahati and Kolkata. However,
the road journey could be long and arduous. One could
also alight at Dibrugarh and travel by road to Kohora,
but the road journey would be long and arduous.
To prevent the spread of epidemic diseases and to
maintain the genetic distinctness of the wild species,
systematic steps such as immunization of livestock in
surrounding villages and fencing of sensitive areas of the
park, which are susceptible to encroachment by local
cattle, are undertaken periodically. By Rail to Guwahati/ Jorhat:
One can reach by railways to Guwahati, which is well
connected to the rest of India. From Guwahati, one
can, then, go by road to Kohora. There are also trains to
Jorhat from Guwahati/ Dibrugarh. One can alight at
Jorhat and drive by road to Kohora.
Extensive research on the reasons for straying and
wildlife behaviour, erecting physical barriers,
tranquilization, keeping vigil and mobile patrolling
especially during the flood and cropping seasons are
done by the park management from time to time.
Water pollution due to run-off from pesticides from By Road from Guwahati:
Kohora is the main tourist hub for Kaziranga. Its on
the National Highway 37 (NH 37) which is linked to
Guwahati on the west and Jorhat on the east. One can
take buses, Cabs from Guwahati, Tezpur, Jorhat, Silchar,
Shillong and Golaghat.
photo credit: cntraveller
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Vol 2|Issue 1|Mar - May 2017