Kaziranga National Park is a protected area in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam, designated as both a National Park and a Tiger Reserve (since 2006 or 2007). It is globally renowned for conserving approximately two-thirds of the world's population of the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). The park's conservation history began in 1904 when Mary Curzon, wife of the then Viceroy Lord Curzon, prompted action after failing to sight a single rhinoceros. This led to the creation of the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest on June 1, 1905, to protect the dwindling rhino population. After being a Wildlife Sanctuary, it was formally declared a National Park on January 1, 1974, following the Assam National Park Act of 1968.
The park's legal protection is rooted in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended till 2022), and the Assam Rhinoceros Preservation Act of 1954, which enforces heavy penalties for hunting the species. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, it is administered by the Assam Forest Department and falls under the purview of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Its ecology is intrinsically linked to the annual floods of the Brahmaputra River, with the Karbi Anglong hills providing crucial high-ground refuge for wildlife.
A recent development (as of August 2026) involves the Assam government's proposal to rationalise the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), potentially shrinking it from the default 10 km to a minimum of 1 km. While the government states this aims to balance conservation with local development, conservationists fear the reduction will threaten vital wildlife corridors connecting the park to the Karbi Anglong hills.