Conservation boost for Kaziranga National Park

GUWAHATI: An additional area of 30.53 square km has been added to the Kaziranga National Park, in a boost to wildlife conservation and a bid to minimise human-animal conflict in and around the heritage site.
The Assam government has approved the 7th, 8th and 9th additions to the park a forest department official informed here on Thursday.
The 7th addition (Deosur, Palkhowa, Deosur Hill proposed reserve forest in Nagaon district) covers an area of 1.76 sq km; the 8th addition (Banderdubi in Nagaon district) covers 3.07 sq km while the 9th addition (Mokua chapori in Sonitpur district) covers 25.70 sq km.
“The additions include encroachment-evicted areas and suitable wildlife habitat in riverine islands (chaporis) which were also vulnerable to encroachment. It is a historic day for the park and a move to consolidate the wildlife areas anticipating better wildlife conservation and reduction in human-wildlife negative interactions in future,” the official said.
“The total area of Kaziranga will now be 915.53 sq km. Earlier, the park had an area of 885 sq km with an area of 483 sq km under Eastern Assam Wildlife Division and 402 sq km under Biswanath Wildlife Division,” he said.
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve director, P. Shivkumar has thanked all stakeholders, NGOs, fringe villagers for the development and their support to wildlife conservation.