Manas National Park

Manas National Park

State : Assam Area : 950 sq. km Altitude: 60 - 110 m Vegetation : Semi Evergreen

A forest habitat of unparalleled beauty, Manas National Park is renowned for its unique biodiversity and landscapes. Manas National Park, Assam is the only place to be distincted as biosphere reserve, a UNESCO natural heritage site, Project Tiger Reserve, and Project Elephant Reserve all at the same time.

Though the park was declared a sanctuary in 1928, it wasn’t officially established as a national park until 1990, when several reserved forests were added to the sanctuary. It shares a border with Royal Manas National Park in the neighboring country of Bhutan.

Located in the foothills of the Eastern Himalaya and is densely forested. The Manas river flows through the west of the park and is the main river within it. It is a major tributary of Brahmaputra river and splits into two separate rivers, the Bwrsi and Bholkaduba as it reaches the plains.  Blessed by a semi-tropical climate, the biomes of this reputed national park provide a natural home to the some of the most exotic and endangered species of wildfire that are hard to find anywhere else 

Manas National Park is well-known for its rare and endangered wildlife   Golden Languor, Pygmy Hog, and Hispid hare, which are exclusively endemic to the Manas National Park. All three animals are also included in the critically endangered list of the IUCN Red Data Book. World’s 80% of endangered Bengal Florican resides at Manas. 

The park is divided into three ranges. The western range is based at Panbari, the central at Bansbari near Barpeta Road, and the eastern at Bhuiyapara near Pathsala. The ranges are not well connected; while two major rivers need to be forded in going from the centre to the Panbari, there is a rough trail  connecting the centre to the eastern range.  

The habitat is similar to that of Kaziranga with elephant grass and large trees. Manas is also excellent for birding with a great variety of birds, from hornbills to minivets including the elusive Bengal Florican.

Main Attraction : Elephants, Rhinoceros,  Water buffaloes, barasingha, tigers, leopards, clouded leopards, capped langurs, golden langurs, Assamese macaques, slow loris, hoolock gibbons, smooth-coated otters, sloth bears, barking deers, hog deers,

Avifauna : The Manas hosts more than 450 species of birds.It has the largest population of the endangered Bengal florican to be found anywhere. Other major bird species include great hornbills, jungle fowls, bulbuls, brahminy ducks, kalij pheasants, egrets, pelicans, fishing eagles, crested serpent-eagles, falcons, scarlet minivets, bee-eaters, magpie robins, pied hornbills, grey hornbills, mergansers, harriers, Indian Peafowl, ospreys and herons.