Have you ever wondered where you can find the rhinos in the wild? Of course your answer would be Africa, but there is a species of rhino that you can see in a tiger reserve in India.
Kaziranga, a national park, a tiger reserve, an elephant reserve, and a UNESCO world heritage site, is a place where you can see the Great Indian One-horned rhinoceros with many other species of birds and mammals.
Now, allow me to share my experience of visiting this park. I have been to Kaziranga many times, and honestly speaking, I never ever worried about the rhino sightings because they are so abundant here that even you can see them from the highway, which passes through the national park. There is a rhino viewpoint on the side of the highway where people can stop their cars and see them from the highway itself, but this experience doesn’t stand anywhere near the experience of sighting them on safari.
Seeing a creature grazing peacefully close to the jungle road that looks like someone from the Jurassic era is one of the most amazing experiences one can have when going to Kaziranga. During my last visit we spotted a mother rhino with her young calf and a male rhino on the other side of the road. The male rhino was following the mother, approaching her closely for mating, and the mother was trying to save her baby. It was an interesting encounter, how Mother was desperate to save her baby when a big male was approaching her.
Why Kaziranga gives guaranteed sightings and which zone to book
Kaziranga hosts the highest and more than 70% wild rhino population in the world. Anyone who visits the park will get 100% chance of seeing rhinos.
Kaziranga is divided into six zones for tourists with separate entry gates for each zone. These zones are:
1. Eastern Zone
This zone is one of the most beautiful and peaceful in Kaziranga. Despite fewer animal sightings compared to other zones, this zone excels in birding, making it the preferred choice for most birders. Rhino sightings are adequate but not as frequent as in other zones.
2. Central Zone
This zone is beneficial for the rhino and other wildlife sightings, especially tigers. Visitors generally prefer this zone because it is well-known for tiger sightings, which is what most people want to see. Recent sightings of golden tigers in this zone have attracted tourists from all over the world.
3. Western Zone
This zone is known for its highest rhino density, and at least one safari is recommended. Those who want to see many rhinos and wild buffaloes are advised to visit this zone.
4. Burhapahar Zone
Like the eastern zone, the Burapahar zone is also known for birds. Apart from birds, this zone is also the best place to see various species of primates, which include capped langur, hoolock gibbon, rhesus macaque, and Assamese macaque. When you go to this zone, on the way, you might spot a hoolock gibbon, India’s only ape.
5. Panbari Zone
This is a recently opened area of the Kaziranga tiger reserve. The zone is dominated by dense evergreen and moist forests. Panbari is a very good zone for birding, especially for forest birds, and for primates like the hoolock gibbon and capped langur.
Kaziranga is a world heritage site, a tiger reserve, a national park, an elephant reserve, and a proposed Ramsar site, is having everything which can attract a wildlife enthusiast. It is a land of India’s big five and a great birding destination. A visit to this land of Unicorn never disappoints anyone.
Elephant-back safari for rhino viewing — is it ethical or not?
The western and central zone of Kaziranga offers elephant back safaris to see rhinos. Though it’s a matter of your own choice, as a company we do not promote elephant rides at any of the tourist places. Though in Kaziranga the elephant ride is short, and elephants don’t need to walk on concrete but on forest floor which is much easier for them and after the ride they are free to spend time in foraging and bathing. So, decision is yours, you either can choose an elephant safari or do one more jeep ride inside the reserve.
When is the park closed?
Kaziranga is situated in the flood plains of Brahmaputra River which is the largest river in India by volume. During the time of monsoon, the whole area of floodplain of Kaziranga which includes all grasslands and some forests gets flooded and that is the time when Kaziranga is close for any tourist activity. This seasonal flood starts with the onset of monsoon, which is normally by mid-May, so the park closes from 15th May and opens in November. These dates change with early arrival or late departure of monsoon and flood.
Unlike other national parks of India, not a single zone of Kaziranga is open during the monsoon, so plan accordingly. Planning close to arrival and departure may disappoint you sometime so avoid those dates.
How do you combine rhino with tiger in an Itinerary?
Kaziranga though is a tiger reserve with high tiger density, but dense vegetation and high grass make it difficult to see this big cat. You can combine your itinerary with the tiger reserves famous for daytime tiger sightings. These tiger reserves are Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Tadoba, Panna and Corbett. Any or more than one of these parks can fit perfectly in a seven to ten days of itinerary where you can spend three nights each in three or two parks.
For example, after arriving in Delhi fly to Raipur and visit Kanha and Bandhavgarh, then fly back to Delhi and catch the flight to Guwahati from where you can drive to Kaziranga and in return drive to Jorhat airport and fly back to Delhi from where you can catch the flight for your onward journey. You can connect other destinations from Kolkata as well which is an international airport and a gateway to the northeast and east of India.
Birds in rhino country: adjutant storks, fishing eagles, pelicans
Kaziranga is also known for its bird diversity, which is more than 550 species of birds. On a single safari a seasoned birder can list more than 100 birds. Many birds rare in other parts of their distribution are common here like adjutant stork, northern lapwing, great hornbill, Pallas’ fish eagle, rosy and spot billed pelicans and many more.
India’s rhino population — the conservation comeback most guests don’t know
Indian one-horned rhinos are a species found in India and Nepal. They are a species of the Terai grasslands and are found in abundance in the reserves, like Kaziranga and Manas. A few years ago, this species was in danger of extinction. Being big mammals and having an ancient look of dinosaurs, they are always an attraction for wildlife enthusiasts from around the world. Once they were critically endangered species; now they have recovered in most of their previous strongholds and remain in vulnerable status for a long time.
In the past, the demand for rhino horn in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) was high, leading to the killing of many rhinos solely for their horns. The rhino horn is a structure made up of keratin, just like our hair and nails, and it is not attached to their skull. But instead of being made of hollow fibers, rhino horn grows in layers from special skin cells that are filled with keratin, which hardens and stops all cellular activity.
Due to the high demand for rhino horn and the rampant killing of rhinos to extract it, their population reached the brink of extinction. To increase their population in the wild and to provide them with a safe space, the government of India started a project in 2005 with the name “Indian Rhino Vision 2020,” which stated that by the year 2020, India will attain a wild population of 3000 rhinos spread over seven protected areas in the Indian state of Assam. Rhinos were sourced from areas with high populations, like Kaziranga National Park, to low or nil population areas.
Manas’ rhino reintroduction story
Rhinos were moved from Pobitora and Kaziranga to protected areas like Manas to rebuild the population. Unfortunately, the Manas National Park was affected by insurgency, which has taken a toll on the rhino project. Many rhinos were killed and poached, which forced the government to halt the project. Though IRV did not complete its target, it helped the parks to recover the rhino population from 1,500 to 4,014 today. This population recovery made Assam a state with 80% of the world’s one-horned rhino population and Kaziranga with 70% of the world’s one-horned rhino population.
Dudhwa, India’s least-visited rhino park
Dudhwa National Park, once a stronghold of rhinos, lost all of them due to poaching and habitat destruction in the mid-20th century. Following the extinction, the rhino rehabilitation area in Dudhwa was established, with five rhinos from Pobitora and later four rhinos from Chitwan National Park in Nepal. This was the first relocation of a big mammal with international coordination. They were kept in a specially designed rhino rehabilitation area, which is a 27 sq km solar-fenced protected area in the Sonaripur range of the national park. Later, when it was overcrowded, another area was also created.
Now, after much effort, the population has increased to 51, of which 8 are released in the wild and are free to roam anywhere in the forest. The forest department is planning to release most of them gradually into the open.
Now in India, Kaziranga, Pobitora, Manas, and Dudhwa are four of the best places to see the rhinos in the wild. In Pobitora, visitors can observe the highest density of rhinos.
How to reach Kaziranga National Park
By Air
The nearest airport to Kaziranga National Park is in Jorhat, which is about 95 km away from the park and it will take two hours to reach there. Guwahati Airport, which is an international airport is around 220 km away, and a major gateway to northeast India with better connectivity to Indian cities. Taxis are easily available from both airports to Kaziranga.
By Rail
The nearest railway stations are Furkating (80 kms.) and Jorhat (92 kms.), which are connected to major towns and cities of Northeast India. From the stations, you can hire taxis or use local transport to reach the park.
By Road
Kaziranga is well connected by road through National Highway 37 which passes through the national park. Regular buses and private taxis operate from Guwahati, Jorhat, Tezpur, and nearby towns.
Mr. Vibhav Srivastava is a seasoned wildlife biologist and ecotourism professional with over 20 years of experience across wildlife research, forest management, conservation education, and sustainable tourism in India.
Currently at Nature Safari India, he curates immersive wildlife experiences, leads conservation communication, and designs educational outreach programs. His expertise spans both in-situ and ex-situ conservation, with extensive field work in all major wildlife landscapes of Central, Northern, Eastern, and Southern India. Notable contributions include all-India tiger monitoring with the Wildlife Institute of India, community-based conservation initiatives, and training forest staff and nature guides.
He has held key roles with RARE India, National Zoological Park (New Delhi), Le Passage to India, Tiger Protection Group, and served as Chief Naturalist at Kanha National Park, deepening his expertise in biodiversity conservation and human-wildlife interactions.
An accomplished educator and communicator, Mr. Srivastava has delivered over 30 lectures at prestigious institutions including Delhi University, BHU, Amity University, and IITTM. He is a published author and researcher, with co-authored books, scientific publications, and paper presentations at national seminars. His work consistently bridges conservation science, community engagement, and responsible tourism.
He holds a Master’s degree in Botany, has received professional training from the Wildlife Institute of India, and was nominated among the top five naturalists in India for the TOFT Best Naturalist Award.
