Common Name: Gharial
Scientific Name: Gavialis gangeticus
Geographic Habitat: Ganges river of India & Nepal
Weight: 150-250 Kg
Length: 3-6 meter (Male), 2.5-4 meter (Female)
Did you know: Gharial is only survivor of Gavialidae family/ Gharial is not a man-eater and is sensitive towards humans
Status: Critically Endangered

Gharial derived its name from an Indian word “Ghara” which means for “Pot” which in this relation means having a bulbous knot present at the end of their snout.
They mostly thrive in deep rivers, however have been seen in still water branches (jheel) surrounded by sand hills. The young Gharials eat insects, larvae, and small frogs while the mature adults survive on solely on fish.
Possession of a powerful attenuated snout and rows of uniform sharp teeth supported by a relatively long, well muscled neck make it a most efficient fish catcher.

Status & Conservation
According to IUCN, there is a steady decline in the population with 96–98% over a three-generation period since 1946. The total population of Gharial in the world now figured is less than 200 individuals making it a “Critically Endangered” species (IUCN 2007). The species is listed as Schedule under the Red List of Threatened Species issued by IUCN.

The Gharial is a mythical creature of the Indian wildlife; they to a large extent play a key role in maintaining the ecosystem and function by their activities.

Nisha Khan

Common Name: Bengal Tiger
Scientific Name: Panthera tigris
Geographic Habitat: Widely distributed across India
Weight: 135-230 kg
Length: 275-290cm (male), 260cm (female)
Did you know: Tiger stripes are individually as unique as human fingerprints.
Status: Endangered

The Indian Bengal Tigers is the most charismatic predators of the wild.  The roar of Wild cats is the heartbeat of many of the Indian wildlife.
The Bengal Tigers has fascinated humans from time immemorial; however, the humanity poses the greatest threat to the continued survival of tigers in the wild today.

* Large scale habitat destruction and illegally killing of prey population causes major long term threats for the dwindling tiger population in the country

*Since time immemorial, the Tigers have been hunted as a status symbol. The Tiger Skin has being largely used as decorative items, floor covering, and as souvenirs. The trade in Tiger bone for traditional Chinese medicines probably caused the greatest decline in the Tiger Population.
And apart from hunting, Poaching is the biggest threat for the remaining population.

Be responsible tourists; As the saying goes ‘Don’t leave anything behind except footsteps, and don’t take anything except memories.

Nisha Khan

Enamoring Tiger yawning at Indian wildlife destinations is a rare scene to witness as tiger poaching is on ever increase and as a result the handsome big cat is on a verge of extinction.

The experts of global tiger summit in St. Petersburg issued a shocking warning to all countries about extinction of tigers with a period of as little as 12 years if the world fails to cultivate some protective measures of tiger conservation effectively.

Kaziranga declared as an UNESCO world heritage site in 1985, which is a spectacular domicile to half of the living tiger of the world is an aggressive tiger reserve where park rangers have been given a license to kill.

Are bullets the answer to poaching?

Yes “It is a common thing,” said Surajit Dutta, director of Kaziranga National Park. “This year, seven poachers have been killed, and there have been lots of encounters.”

Kaziranga wildlife sanctuary is one of the most protected wildlife reserves of India which is an abode of out of ordinary species like the one horned rhino and great Indian tiger so it becomes essential to arming its forest guards and pushing them to match poacher’s bullet for bullet.

“Kaziranga is the only protected area with shoot-on-sight orders for poachers,” said Belinda Wright, executive director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India. “There are shootouts frequently.”

The wildlife in India seems to be in safe hand as when it comes to tigers the Kaziranga wildlife destination of India has the highest density of tigers compared to any area in the world, with about 33 tigers per 100 square kilometers according to the latest population survey.

“It’s not a safe place to be a poacher — or a guard,” Wright said. “Every year, some guards get killed”.

That’s a painful price that India and its wildlife park especially Kaziranga pays for protection of the mesmeric big cat and the one horn rhino.

A tiger body and a rhino horn are so valuable it can be well measured from the point that many human lives are sacrificed every year to preserve them.

Astonishing India a country with a sound gun law & control system (though ineffective), as one can witness an infinite mainstream police officers rely on a bamboo stick, rather than a gun, to keep the peace, in such a case the state of Assam’s authorization of its forest guards is unparalleled.

The world should be grateful to these strong measures due to which Kaziranga boasts about 2,000 one-horned rhinos and as many as 100 of the world’s 3,500 remaining tigers of the world.

This seems like a relief for many people who love nature and specially wildlife but critics think it’s just a beginning of a new battle not the end of war.

This winter enjoy an audacious wildlife India Tour to discover the serene nature as well as its striking wilderness amidst its diverse flora and fauna.

( Biplav)

The Kaziranga National Park in Assam has been one of the most successful Tiger Reserves in the country and probably the most scenic one. Today Kaziranga is lush green and inviting. It boasts of numerous Great One-horned Rhinoceroses, high density of Tigers, and countless elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer not to mention Important Bird Area (recognized by Birdlife International).
It’s a pleasure driving up to the place. The road winds through a lovely stretch of forest.  Often you can spot plenty of wildlife on the roadside. Sometimes wild elephants block the road. Some lucky people have reported sighting tigers in the early hours.
The jungle safari is from 7:30 to 9:30 in the mornings and from 1:30 to 3:30 in the evenings. Of course there’s no guarantee that any animals will be sighted, especially in the cooler months. But a nice drive through the jungle is a good compensation.

To book the hotel/ resort in Kaziranga contact the Chief Conservator of Forests well in advance.  It is prudent to book well in advance during holiday seasons.

Nisha Khan