4-Sep-2020: Kaziranga set to be expanded by 3,053 hectares

The Assam government has approved the addition of 30.53 sq. km to the 884 sq. km-Kaziranga National Park. The additional area would make the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) grow to 1085.53 sq km. The core area of the KNPTR is 430 sq km.

The three additions are habitat corridors and would help provide connectivity to Orang and Nameri National Parks across river Brahmaputra. It also provides connectivity to the hills of Karbi Anglong to the south of the park, where the rhino, tiger, deer and other animals take refuge during the floods.

The additions include encroachment-evicted areas and suitable wildlife habitat on river islands (sandbars) that are vulnerable to encroachment. It is a move to consolidate the wildlife areas anticipating better wildlife conservation and reduction in human-wildlife negative interactions in the future.