Women Forest Guards at Kaziranga ^{CEFR B2}

More than 5,000 women now work as frontline personnel in India’s forests, and many serve as forest guards at Kaziranga National Park in Assam, a protected area known for one-horned rhinos. Kaziranga covers 430 square kilometres from the Karbi Anglong hills in the south to the Brahmaputra River in the north. National Highway 37 cuts through its five ranges — Burhapahar, Bagori, Kohora, Agoratoli and Biswanath — and the park last recorded a poaching case in 2021.

In August 2023 a group of women joined KNP as “Van Durgas.” They include 23-year-old Priyanka Bharali, 27-year-old Mitali Boruah, 27-year-old Rashmi Borah and 21-year-old Dipanjali Boraik. Many are farmers’ daughters from nearby districts. They trained at the 11th Assam Police Battalion in Dergaon, where training covered combat, emergency response, physical fitness, weapons handling, shooting and night exercises. Field Director Sonali Ghosh says the women receive the same training as men and are assigned to vulnerable camps, and Range Officer Bidyut Bikash Borah says they adapted quickly to forest life.

• They use “Area Domination” to control embankments and block poachers.
• They work with village women to discourage poaching networks.
• They use inflatable rubber boats and walk through floods to guide and rescue animals.

Camps run on solar panels, so energy use is rationed and lights are limited at night to avoid startling wildlife. Some guards recalled early fears: Priyanka saw tigers near camp, Dipanjali faced snakes at “King Cobra Camp,” and Rashmi learned to handle a rifle despite nervousness. During the July 2024 flood, NH 715 along the park’s southern edge became chaotic; the women helped control traffic, guided animals through nine corridors toward higher ground, rescued stranded animals and continued anti-poaching work. Field Director Ghosh credited these efforts with contributing to the lowest-ever animal deaths caused by humans. Officers and local communities praise the guards and call them role models as they continue training in snake handling, bird watching and identifying local plants.