In Kaziranga, one can only enter the park with a 4-wheel drive and accompanied by a park guard. Leaving the car and walking on foot is strictly forbidden. Main reason for this, is the safety of the tourists, as the park holds really huge numbers of potential dangerous animals, such as elephant, tiger, rhino and wild buffalo. In particular the elephants and rgino sometimes charge the vehicles. Main reason for bringing along an armed guard, is to avoid trouble with the elephants. In case of a charge, the guard shoots in the air, just above the elephants, which mostly helps stopping them or avoiding a charge. As Kaziranga holds a very large population of all thes big animals, there are often conflicts, when migration of animals takes place. They have to cross then the surrounding farmland, paddy fields, and villages, where they are often severely chased and persecuted by humans (with fire-crackers, guns, etc...), to keep them of their fields. This situation often leads to conflicts and sometimes to agressive behaviour of the big animals, when encountering humans.
Raju (on the left) was my driver during my eigt day stay in Kaziranga.