Manas National Park
General Information | ||
Total Area | 950 sq. km. |
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Best time to visit | November - March. | |
Accommodation | Hotel & Guest Houses. | |
Nearest Town | Barpeta Road (44 km). | |
How to get there | Train: Barpeta Road (44 km), Air: Guwahati (50 km). | |
Species found | Elephants, Rhinoceros, Gaurs, Asian Water Buffaloes, Tigers, Leopards, Asian golden cat, Golden Langurs, Assamese Macaques, Hoolock Gibbons, Smooth-coated Otters, Sambar Deer and Chital. |
Manas National
Park is a Wildlife Sanctuary, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a
Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve
in Assam, India. it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National park
in Bhutan. The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic
wildlife such as the Assam Roofed Turtle, Hispid Hare, Golden Langur
and Pygmy Hog.
Manas is located in the Eastern Himalaya foothills. The park is
densely forested. The Manas river is the main river, a major
tributary of Brahmaputra river. The Manas River flows through the
west of the park, further it splits into two separate rivers, the
Beki and Bholkaduba. Manas and five other small rivers flow through
the National Park which lies on a wide low-lying alluvial terrace
below the foothills of the outer Himalaya. The river also acts an
international border diving India and Bhutan. The bedrock of the
savanna area in the north of the park is made up of Limestone and
sandstone, whereas the grasslands in the south of the park is made
up of deep deposits of fine alluvium. The combination of
Sub-Himalayan Bhabar Terai formation along with riverine succession
continuing up to Sub-Himalayan mountain forest making it one of the
richest biodiversity areas in the world. The park is 391 km². in
area and situated at a height of 61m to 110m above mean sea level.
The sanctuary has recorded 55 species of mammals, 380 species of
birds, 50 of reptiles, and 3 species of amphibians. Out of these
wildlife, 21 mammals are India’s Schedule I mammals and 31 of them
are threatened.
The fauna of the sanctuary include Asian Elephants, Indian
Rhinoceros, Gaurs, Asian Water Buffaloes, Barasingha, Tigers,
Leopards, Clouded Leopards, Asian golden cat, Capped Langurs, Golden
Langurs, Assamese Macaques, Slow Loris, Hoolock Gibbons,
Smooth-coated Otters, Sloth Bears, Barking Deer, Hog Deer, Sambar
Deer 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. Manas have the largest
population of endangered Bengal Florican. The major other birds
includes Giant Hornbills, Jungle Fowls, Bulbuls, Brahminy Ducks,
Kalij Pheasants, Egrets, Pelicans, Fishing Eagles, Serpent Eagles,
Falcons, Scarlet Minivets, Bee-Eaters, Magpie Robins, Pied
Hornbills, Grey Hornbills, Mergansers, Harriers, Ospreys and Herons.