"If you keep packing people in a single room, some of them will have to move out eventually because of space crunch. Likewise, Kaziranga has reached a position where it's almost full and we need to expand the park by including additional area. Along with rhinos, there has been increase in the tiger, buffalo and swamp deer populations. The animals need space," Hussain said at an awards giving ceremony organized by WWF-India and the forest department.

Kaziranga already has an expansion plan which envisages six additions from adjoining areas. But, a large portion of these areas hasn't actually been brought under the park administration yet, primarily because of a stiff protest by the people living in these areas and legal hassles.

The proposed additions are as follows: Burapahar area (43.7 sq km), Sildubi area (6.47 sq km), Panbari reserve forest (0.69 sq km), Kanchanjuri area (0.89 sq km), Haldibari area (1.15 sq km) and the 376.50 sq km Panpur reserve forest including the stretch of Brahmaputra sand island on the northern boundary of the park.

Kaziranga has over 2,000 rhinos, an estimated 1,100 elephants, 1,000 buffalos and approximately 1,200 swamp deer. The park also has 106 tigers. Principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Suresh Chand said that while the first addition, a part of the second addition and the fourth addition have been brought under park control, the third, fifth, sixth and the remaining part of second additions are still outside the park management.

The Vanya Prani Mitra Award, 2013 was conferred to forester Manmohan Nath of Goalpara division for rescuing an injured elephant last year. The 11-member team under range officer Chakrapani Roy of Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park also received the award for killing two poachers and foiling a rhino poaching attempt last year.