Tea station

This is the world's oldest and largest tea research station. They are coming out with tea cola, tea tablets, tea biscuits and wine made from tea. Trust me, the wine is wonderful.

On way to Jorhat

Final shot:NH-37

National Highway 37 shoot

Final days shoot on the NH-37 that runs along the length of the park. It has at least 50 animals corridors.

Mr Saikia

Mr Gautam Saikia, stays in Kaziranga, all 365/366 days. Key point person for all foreign TV networks and so-called wildlife filmmakers. He is himself a wildlife photographer. Needless to say, he is a friend of my camerama, Mukut.

The Last Action Hero

In Kaziranga post-shoot. Waiting for the jeep to arrive. Our boat refuses to work.

Save the rhino

There have been 12 incidents of poaching this year at Kaziranga. Forest guards just have their 303 and 315s to protect the animals. There are officially 1,855 rhinos in Kaziranga.

Sunset at Kaziranga

Forest Ranger

Kaziranga's most famous forest ranger, Dhani Dhar Bodo. He is there for 20 years and has had over 100 encounters with poachers. There are 4 forest rangers and nearly 400 guards protecting almost 700 square kilometre area. Dhani Dhar Bodo is a rockstar.

The forest guards

The forest guards of Kaziranga, against all adversities try their best and protect the park. It's easy to criticise them. But once you go and stay with them, you will find how they manage with limited resources and how much risk they take to fight poachers.

Kaziranga National Park

The park during floods

Going Inside Kaziranga

This is the non-tourist stretch and we have managed to get the only motor boat in the park. All of us are silent, as we proceed inside. Wildlife shoots are the most difficult. You cannot really have an appointment with an animal and go and ask her for a soundbite or cutaways. Right after this we managed to get a rhino killed by poachers. In my excitement and trying to talk on camera, I forgot to take photographs. An opportunity that I guess will never come again.

The Kaziranga Trail

Back from an extensive Kaziranga shoot. More pictures, later. This is Day one of shoot.

Kaziranga Trail, btw, is the name of an award winning Children's Book Trust book. It's a story about three little boys and how they save rhinos from poachers. (as far as I can remember).