"No one can enter the place. It is all swamps and leeches and even elephants cannot go there," was the response of a British forest officer in 1930 to the famous naturalist E P Gee, author of Wildlife of India, who had requested permission to visit Kaziranga.

Today, Kaziranga is a World Heritage Site and is probably one of the richest, most picturesque wildlife habitats of southern Asia. Home to the world's largest Asiatic one-horned rhinoceros (population above 1,000), Kaziranga harbours at least 15 mammals listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, including elephants, wild buffalo and tigers. The Brahmaputra River (that originates in China and ultimately flows into the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh) is visible from the northern boundary of the park and stretches like an open sea, large and powerful.

Kaziranga's ecosystems, comprising wetlands, alluvial grasslands, and wet tropical evergreen forests, literally burst with life. The phenomenon of annual flooding, which takes place when the Brahmaputra breaks its banks during each monsoon season, has been taking a vicious toll of wildlife in recent years of upstream deforestation... but flooding per se is not bad (75 per cent of the land is normally flooded) as it brings in life-giving alluvial silt, a key reason why Kaziranga is such a bio-rich habitat.

You can closely approach herds of wild buffalo on elephant back, or watch through binoculars from the tall watch towers built for wildlife viewing by the authorities. As a rule buffaloes are shy, especially in the presence of young ones, and lone bulls can be positively dangerous so again, never get off your vehicle.

As a rule elephants never stayed the year round in Kaziranga, choosing to depart during the floods. But in recent years habitat pressures from the surrounding tribal settlements have disrupted elephant migration routes or 'corridors'. They can consequently be seen in the park throughout the year now. They tend to concentrate around the bheels, which offer both food and water. Keep your distance from the bulls and remember, that strong-looking female you see might just turn out to be a makha (tuskless male).

Gaur too have had to adapt to human disturbance outside and are now a more common sight in the Park. While this may sound good for tourism, it may prove to be quite disastrous for Kaziranga in the long run, as over-grazing is a distinct possibility. Other mammals include the Capped Langur, Rhesus macaque, a small population of Hoolock gibbon, tiger, leopard (common in Kanchanjhuri in the Western Range), sloth bear (in grasslands and woodlands), Gangetic dolphin (in the stagnant Mihibeel) and wild boar and sambar deer (in small numbers). Hog deer are abundant. Swamp deer, though threatened, are found here in their largest concentration in Eastern India.

If you are very lucky and persistent you may see the Indian otter. The Flying fox and the Malabar flying squirrel are also residents of Kaziranga.

Reptiles include the Water monitor, Indian python, Common cobra, King cobra, cat snake, Rat snake and Checkered keelbacks. An astounding 11 species of turtle are found in the park.