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Manas National Park
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Manas National Park is a
UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger
Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in
Assam, India. Located in the Himalayan foothills, a part
extends to Bhutan.
The park takes its name from the Manas River, which is
named after the serpent god Manasa. The Manas river is a
major tributary of Brahmaputra River, which passes through
the heart of the park.
The Manas National Park was declared a sanctuary on
October 01, 1928 with an area of 360 sq. km. Manas Tiger
reserve was created in 1973. Prior to the declaration of
the sanctauary it was a Reserved Forest called Manas R.F.
and North Kamrup R.F.. It was used by the Cooch Behar
royal family and Raja of Gauripur as a hunting reserve.
It was declared a World Heritage site in December 1985 by
UNESCO. Kahitama R.F., the Kokilabari R.F. and the Panbari
R.F. were added in the year 1990 to form the Manas
National Park. In 1992, UNESCO declared it as a world
heritage site in danger due to heavy poaching and
terrorist activities.
There is only one forest village, Agrang, in the core of
the National Park. Apart from this village 56 more
villages surround the park.
The park area falls in six districts: Kokrajhar,
Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup and Darrang in the
state of Assam in India.
The minimum temperature is around 15 degree C and maximum
temperature is around 37 degree C. Heavy rainfall occurs
between May and September and the annual average rainfall
is around 333 cm.
A Forest Lodge inside the park is situated at Mothanguri.
Manas Jungle Camp is a Community cum Conservation Tourism
project in Kokilabari near Eastern Core area of the Manas
National Park, run by the local Conservation NGO MMES (Manas
Maozigendri Ecotourism Society) and is committed to the
revival of Manas and get it free from the UNESCO Red-list.
The camp has 04 ethnic cottages in a Rubber Plantation
near the park boundary. The project runs various
conservation programmes, Cultural self-help groups,
Handicraft self-help groups, and conducts regular
patrolling inside the park in association with the Forest
department to stop poaching and cattle grazing. This
initiative has already received appreciation from the
UNESCO-World Heritage Commission, and people from all over
the world, and is considered as the most positive
development towards the revival of Manas.
Fauna:
The park has recorded 55 species of mammals, 380 species
of birds, 50 of reptiles, and 3 species of amphibians.
The fauna of the park includes Tigers, Elephants,
Rhinoceros, Wild Buffaloes, Leopards, Clouded Leopards,
Gaurs, Swamp Deer, Capped Langurs, Golden Langurs,
Assamese Macaques, Slow Loris, Hoolock Gibbons, Smooth
Indian Otters, Sloth Bears, Barking Deer, Hog Deer, Sambar
and Chital.
The park is well known for its rare and endangered
wildlife which is not found anywhere else in the world
like the Assam Roofed Turtle, Hispid Hare, Golden Langur
and Pygmy Hog.
Manas houses about 380 species of birds and has the
largest population of endangered Bengal Florican. The
major other birds includes Giant Hornbills, Jungle Fowls,
Bulbuls, Brahminy Ducks, Khaleej Pheasants, Egrets,
Pelicans, Fishing Eagles, Serpent Eagles, Falcons, Scarlet
Minivets, Bee-Eaters, Magpie Robins, Pied Hornbills, Gray
Hornbills, Mergansers, Harriers, Ospreys and Herons.
Flora:
The Burma Monsoon Forests of Manas lie on the borders
between the Indo-Gangetic and Indo-Malayan biogeographical
realms and is part of the Brahmaputra Valley Biogeographic
Province. The combination of Sub-Himalayan Bhabar Terai
formation with riverine succession leading up to
Sub-Himalayan mountain forest makes it one of the richest
biodiversity areas in the world.
The main vegetation types are: i) Sub-Himalayan Light
Alluvial Semi-Evergreen forests in the northern parts. ii)
East Himalayan mixed Moist and Dry Deciduous forests (the
most common type). iii) Low Alluvial Savanna Woodland, and
iv) Assam Valley Semi-Evergreen Alluvial Grasslands which
cover almost 50% of the Park.
Best time to visit:
Nov to Apr. The park is closed during Monsoon. Elephant
rides are your best bet for seeing wildlife, although
boats are also available for wildlife-watching trips down
the Manas and Hakua rivers.
Safari timings:
0530 hr to 1000 hr and then 1430 hr to 1730 hr.
Go there for:
Tigers, red pandas, elephants.
How to Reach:
by road :
Manas is 176 km NW of Guwahati. NH 31 passes through
Rangia and Nalbari.
by rail :
Nearest railhead is at Barpeta Road, 32 km. The Kamrup
Express, Kanchendzonga Express and Brahamputra Mail halt
here. Taxis to Manas are easily available.
by air :
Nearest airport is at Guwahati. From here, the park, 176
kms away, is well connected by road.
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© 2008, Banjara Camps & Retreats Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. All rights reserved.
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