Prince William and Princess Kate to draw attention to the conservation of the animal
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Princess Kate, who landed at Tezpur's Salonibari airport, were received on Tuesday at 6 pm by CM Tarun Gogoi, and wife Dolly, with a prized muga gamusa (what is this? If you can describe...).
Soon after, they made their way to the Kaziranga National Reserve. The Duchess wore a sea-green dress, while the Duke was seen in a black suit.
The prince and princess, who will be in Kaziranga for a two-day visit, are here to draw attention to the conservation of the one-horned rhino, found mostly in Assam.
The couple left for the Diphlu Resort, where a traditional Assamese mud house, fitted with modern amenities, has been specially made for them.
Tuesday evening, they were entertained by traditional Assamese Bihu, Bodo Bagrumba and Sautal Jhumur dancers, who presented a traditional cultural programme for them. They spent some time in the airport lounge where they were served Assamese snacks like jolpan, laru, various types of pitha, and sunga pitha.
Princess Kate and Prince William will also go to the Bagori range on Wednesday, which is shut to the public for the day, and see various animals within the range.
The couple will be taken out for a safari within the range and they will meet the park staff. They are also scheduled to visit the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), apart from a conservation for captive elephants.
Also on their schedule is a visit to a village which was relocated when the Kaziranga sanctuary came up. The food on their menu will include Bihu delicacies, like pitha, jolpan, etc. It is believed that the couple have expressed a desire to taste bhut jolokia, the hottest chilli in the world.
The duke and duchess have also expressed a desire to stick to vegetarian food, especially because they are visiting a place of conservation. The couple are interested in seeing how communities manage conflicts that arise when humans and wild animals live in close proximity and will also meet park rangers inside Kaziranga to discuss how the park protects its animal populations from poachers as demand, in other parts of Asia, for rhino horns continues to rise, a release by the British High Commission added.
—(With inputs from agencies)
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