Manas National Park
Encyclopedia
Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a Wildlife Sanctuary, UNESCO
Natural World Heritage site
, a Project Tiger
Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam
, India
. Located in the Himalayan foothills, 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 famous for its population of the Wild water buffalo.
, which is named after the serpent goddess Manasa
. The Manas river is a major tributary of Brahmaputra River
, which passes through the heart of the national park.
and Raja of Gauripur as a hunting reserve. In 1951 and 1955 the area was increased to 391 km². 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. In 25 February 2008 the area was increased to 950 km². On 21st June 2011, it was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger and was commended for its efforts in preservation.
, Chirang, Baksa
, Udalguri
, and Darrang in the state of Assam in India.
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 (the daimAri road) connecting the central to the eastern range. Most visitors come to Bansbari and then spend some time inside the forest at Mathanguri on the Manas river at the Bhutan border.
Physical Geography: 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 dividing 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 950 km². in area and situated at a height of 61m to 110m above mean sea level.
Climate:
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.
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:
Much of the riverine dry deciduous forest is at an early successional stage. It is replaced by moist deciduous forest away from water courses, which is succeeded by semi-evergreen climax forest in the northern part of the park. A total of 543 plants species have been recorded from the core zone. Of these, 374 species are dicotyledons (including 89 trees), 139 species monocotyledons and 30 are Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms.
The Park's common trees include Aphanamixis polystachya
, Anthocephalus chinensis, Syzygium cumini, S. formosum, S. oblatum, Bauhinia purpurea
, Mallotus philippensis
, Cinnamomum tamala, Actinodaphne obvata, Bombax ceiba
, Sterculia villosa, Dillenia indica
, D. pentagyna, Careya arborea
, Lagerstroemia parviflora, L.speciosa, Terminalia bellirica, T. chebula, Trewia polycarpa, Gmelina arborea
, Oroxylum indicum
and Bridelia spp. The Grasslands are dominated by Imperata cylindrica, Saccharum naranga, Phragmites karka, Arundo donax
, Dillenia pentagyna, Phyllanthus emblica, Bombax ceiba
, and species of Clerodendrum
, Leea
, Grewia
, Premna
and Mussaenda
The fauna of the sanctuary include Asian Elephant
s, Indian Rhinoceros
, Gaur
s, Asian Water Buffaloes, Barasingha
, Tiger
s, Leopard
s, Clouded Leopard
s, Asian golden cat, Capped Langur
s, Golden Langurs, Assamese Macaques, Slow Loris
, Hoolock Gibbon
s, Smooth-coated Otter
s, Sloth Bear
s, 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 more than 450 species of birds.Manas have the largest population of endangered Bengal Florican
. The major other birds includes Giant Hornbills, Jungle Fowls, Bulbul
s, Brahminy Ducks, Kalij Pheasant
s, Egret
s, Pelican
s, Fishing Eagles, Serpent Eagles, Falcon
s, Scarlet Minivet
s, Bee-Eater
s, Magpie Robins, Pied Hornbills, Grey Hornbill
s, Mergansers, Harriers
, Osprey
s and Heron
s.
facilities at night. A popular way to explore a majority of the Manas National Park in Assam is in a 4-wheel (Jeep) drive petrol vehicle. Much more terrain becomes available if on an elephant ride, but these are usually restricted to a few kilometers near the gate. A raft ride on Manas river from Mathanguri ending 25 km downstream at Bansbari is also a popular option. These take you deep in to the densest areas of the forest and often right in between some of the wildlife there, including elephants, rhinos and wild buffaloes. The park is open from November to April, and is closed in the remaining period owing to the monsoon
.
Alternately, one may stay at Kokilabari in the Eastern range (traveling in from Pathsala), where a facility is run by the NGO MMES (Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society). Both the MMES and MEWS are constituted with volunteers from the fringe villages. MMES is the older group, and many of its workers were erstwhile members of the Bodo liberation struggle. The MMES camp has 4 ethnic cottages in a som plantation meant for rearing of famous muga silk of assam at the park boundary.
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Natural World Heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, a Project Tiger
Project Tiger
Project Tiger was launched in 1972 in India. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of tigers in their natural habitats and preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the people. The selection of areas for the reserves represented as close as possible the...
Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National park in Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam Roofed Turtle, Hispid Hare
Hispid Hare
The Hispid hare Caprolagus hispidus, also called Assam rabbit is a leporid native to South Asia, whose historic range extended along the southern foothills of the Himalayas. Today, the habitat of hispid hares is highly fragmented with an area of occupancy of less than extending over an estimated...
, Golden Langur and Pygmy Hog
Pygmy Hog
Pygmy hog is an endangered species of small wild pig, previously spread across India, Nepal, and Bhutan but now only found in Assam. The current world population is about 150 individuals or fewer...
.Manas is famous for its population of the Wild water buffalo.
Origin of the name
The name of the park is originated from the Manas RiverManas River
The Manas River is a transboundary river in the Himalayan foothills between southern Bhutan and India.It is named after Manasa, the serpent god in Hindu mythology.It is the largest river system of Bhutan, among its four major river systems; the other three are Amo Chu or Torsa, Wong Chu or Raidak,...
, which is named after the serpent goddess Manasa
Manasa
Manasa is a Hindu folk goddess of snakes, worshipped mainly in Bengal and other parts of northeastern India, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite and also for fertility and prosperity. Manasa is the sister of Vasuki, king of Nāgas and wife of sage Jagatkāru...
. The Manas river is a major tributary of Brahmaputra River
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
, which passes through the heart of the national park.
History of the Park
The Manas National Park was declared a sanctuary on October 1, 1928 with an area of 360 km². Manas Tiger reserve was created in 1973. Prior to the declaration of the sanctuary it was a Reserved Forest called Manas R.F. and North Kamrup R.F. It was used by the Cooch Behar royal familyKoch dynasty
The Koch dynasty of Assam and Bengal, named after the Koch tribe, emerged as the dominant ruling house in the Kamata kingdom in 1515 after the fall of the Khen dynasty in 1498...
and Raja of Gauripur as a hunting reserve. In 1951 and 1955 the area was increased to 391 km². 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. In 25 February 2008 the area was increased to 950 km². On 21st June 2011, it was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger and was commended for its efforts in preservation.
Human History
There is only one forest village, Agrang, in the core of the National Park. Apart from this village 56 more villages surround the park. Many more fringe villages are directly or indirectly dependent on the park.Geography of the Park
Political Geography: The park area falls in five districts: KokrajharKokrajhar
Kokrajhar is a city in Bodoland Territorial Council, Assam, one of the North East States and territories of India.Kokrajhar city is located along the bank of Gourang River. The North East Indian Railways divides the city into two sides, north and the south...
, Chirang, Baksa
Baksa district
-History:Baksa was notified as a district in October 2003 while it started functioning from 1 June 2004 when Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury of the Assam Civil Service took charge as its founder Deputy Commissioner...
, Udalguri
Udalguri
Odalguri , , is a town and a town area committee and the headquarters of Udalguri district in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam. Earlier, Udalgiri was a sub-divisional headquarters in Darrang District...
, and Darrang in the state of Assam in India.
The park is divided into three ranges. The western range is based at Panbari, the central at Bansbari
Bansbari
Bansbari is a village in Sindhupalchok District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 4474 and had 827 houses in the village....
near Barpeta Road
Barpeta Road
Barpeta Road is a city and a municipal board in Barpeta district in the state of Assam, India. It is one of the most important business places of Assam.-Location:...
, and the eastern at Bhuiyapara near Pathsala
Pathsala
Pathsala is a town and a town area committee in Barpeta district in the Indian state of Assam.-Demographics: India census, Pathsala had a population of 9652. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Pathsala has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national average of...
. 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 (the daimAri road) connecting the central to the eastern range. Most visitors come to Bansbari and then spend some time inside the forest at Mathanguri on the Manas river at the Bhutan border.
Physical Geography: Manas is located in the Eastern Himalaya
Eastern Himalaya
Eastern Himalaya is situated between Central Nepal in the west to Myanmar in the east, occupying southeast Tibet in China, Sikkim, North Bengal, Bhutan and North-East India. The area has been declared a biodiversity hotspot by Conservation International....
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 dividing 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 950 km². in area and situated at a height of 61m to 110m above mean sea level.
Climate:
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.
Biomes
There are two major biomes present in Manas:- The grassland biomes : pygmy hogPygmy HogPygmy hog is an endangered species of small wild pig, previously spread across India, Nepal, and Bhutan but now only found in Assam. The current world population is about 150 individuals or fewer...
, Indian rhinocerosIndian RhinocerosThe Indian Rhinoceros is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family...
(re-introduced in 2007 after extinction due to heavy poaching during the Bodo uprising), bengal floricanBengal FloricanThe Bengal Florican , also called Bengal Bustard, is a very rare bustard species from tropical southern Asia. It is the only member of the genus Houbaropsis...
, wild Asian buffalo, etc. - The forest biomes : slow lorisSlow lorisSlow lorises are a group of five species of strepsirrhine primates which make up the genus Nycticebus. Found in South and Southeast Asia, they range from Northeast India in the west to the Philippines in the east, and from the Yunnan province in China in the north to the island of Java in the south...
, capped langurCapped LangurThe capped langur is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China, India, and Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests...
, wild pig, sambar, great hornbillGreat HornbillThe Great Hornbill also known as Great Indian Hornbill or Great Pied Hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. Great Hornbills are found in the forests of Nepal, India, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, Indonesia. Their impressive size and colour have made them important in...
, Malayan giant squirrel or black giant squirrel, etc.
Flora
Vegetation: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:
- Sub-Himalayan Light Alluvial Semi-Evergreen forests in the northern parts.
- East Himalayan mixed Moist and Dry Deciduous forests (the most common type).
- Low Alluvial Savanna Woodland, and
- Assam Valley Semi-Evergreen Alluvial Grasslands which cover almost 50% of the Park.
Much of the riverine dry deciduous forest is at an early successional stage. It is replaced by moist deciduous forest away from water courses, which is succeeded by semi-evergreen climax forest in the northern part of the park. A total of 543 plants species have been recorded from the core zone. Of these, 374 species are dicotyledons (including 89 trees), 139 species monocotyledons and 30 are Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms.
The Park's common trees include Aphanamixis polystachya
Aphanamixis polystachya
Aphanamixis polystachya, the Pithraj tree, is a species of tree in the family Meliaceae.-References:Bengali name of this tree is royna.Another name of this tree is pithraj.Oil of the seeds is used to treatment of reumatism.Oil has pestisidal character.Falk people of Bangladesh massage their body...
, Anthocephalus chinensis, Syzygium cumini, S. formosum, S. oblatum, Bauhinia purpurea
Bauhinia purpurea
Bauhinia purpurea is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to South China and Southeast Asia. Common names include Hong Kong Orchid Tree, Purple camel's foot, and Hawaiian orchid tree.-Description:...
, Mallotus philippensis
Mallotus philippensis
Mallotus philippensis is a plant in the spurge family. It is known as the Kamala or Red Kamala, due to the fruit covering, which produces a red dye. However, it must be distinguished from Kamala meaning 'lotus' in many Indian languages, an unrelated plant, flower, and sometimes metonymic spiritual...
, Cinnamomum tamala, Actinodaphne obvata, Bombax ceiba
Bombax ceiba
Bombax ceiba, like other trees of the genus Bombax, is commonly known as cotton tree or tree cotton. This tropical tree has a straight tall trunk and its leaves are deciduous in winter. Red flowers with 5 petals appear in the spring before the new foliage. It produces a capsule which, when ripe,...
, Sterculia villosa, Dillenia indica
Dillenia indica
Dillenia indica is a species of Dillenia native to southeastern Asia, from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka east to southwestern China and Vietnam, and south through Thailand to Malaysia and Indonesia....
, D. pentagyna, Careya arborea
Careya arborea
Careya arborea is a species of tree in the Lecythidaceae family, in India. It is known as Kumbhi in Hindi, and Slow Match Tree in English....
, Lagerstroemia parviflora, L.speciosa, Terminalia bellirica, T. chebula, Trewia polycarpa, Gmelina arborea
Gmelina arborea
Gmelina arborea, , locally known as Gamhar, is a fast growing deciduous tree, occurring naturally throughout greater part of India at altitudes up to 1500 meters...
, Oroxylum indicum
Oroxylum indicum
Oroxylum indicum is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Bignoniaceae.-Names:* Bignonia indica, L., Species Plantarum 2: 625. 1753.* Spathodea indica, L., Pers. Synopsis Plantarum 2: 173. 1807....
and Bridelia spp. The Grasslands are dominated by Imperata cylindrica, Saccharum naranga, Phragmites karka, Arundo donax
Arundo donax
Arundo donax, Giant Cane, is a tall perennial cane growing in damp soils, either fresh or moderately saline. Other common names include Carrizo, Arundo, Spanish cane, Wild cane, and Giant reed....
, Dillenia pentagyna, Phyllanthus emblica, Bombax ceiba
Bombax ceiba
Bombax ceiba, like other trees of the genus Bombax, is commonly known as cotton tree or tree cotton. This tropical tree has a straight tall trunk and its leaves are deciduous in winter. Red flowers with 5 petals appear in the spring before the new foliage. It produces a capsule which, when ripe,...
, and species of Clerodendrum
Clerodendrum
Clerodendrum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. Its common names include glorybower, bagflower and bleeding-heart...
, Leea
Leea
Leea is a genus of plants that are distributed throughout Northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, South and Southeast Asia and parts of Africa. Leea contains approximately 70 species and is placed in the Vitaceae family. The APG II system places Leea in the subfamily Leeoideae...
, Grewia
Grewia
The large flowering plant genus Grewia is today placed by most authors in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by in the APG. Formerly, it was placed in either the linden family or the Sparrmanniaceae...
, Premna
Premna
Premna is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.Species include:* Premna grandifolia, A.D.J. Meeuse* Premna hans-joachimii, Verdc.* Premna maxima, T.C.E. Fr.* Premna protrusa, A.C.Sm. & S.Darwin...
and Mussaenda
Fauna
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 Elephant
Asian Elephant
The Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
s, Indian Rhinoceros
Indian Rhinoceros
The Indian Rhinoceros is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family...
, Gaur
Gaur
The gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...
s, Asian Water Buffaloes, Barasingha
Barasingha
The Barasingha or Swamp deer is a deer species currently found in isolated localities in north and central India, and southwestern Nepal, and is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh....
, Tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
s, Leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
s, Clouded Leopard
Clouded Leopard
The clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
s, Asian golden cat, Capped Langur
Capped Langur
The capped langur is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China, India, and Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests...
s, Golden Langurs, Assamese Macaques, Slow Loris
Slow loris
Slow lorises are a group of five species of strepsirrhine primates which make up the genus Nycticebus. Found in South and Southeast Asia, they range from Northeast India in the west to the Philippines in the east, and from the Yunnan province in China in the north to the island of Java in the south...
, Hoolock Gibbon
Hoolock gibbon
The hoolock gibbons , also known as hoolocks, are two primate species from the family of the gibbons .Hoolocks are the second largest of the gibbons, after the Siamang. They reach a size of 60 to 90 cm and weigh 6 to 9 kg...
s, Smooth-coated Otter
Smooth-coated Otter
The Smooth-coated Otter is a species of otter, the only extant representative of the genus Lutrogale. The species is found from southern Pakistan and parts of the India east to Southeast Asia, and there is a disjunct population in Iraq...
s, Sloth Bear
Sloth Bear
The sloth bear , also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution...
s, Barking Deer, Hog Deer
Hog Deer
The Hog Deer is a small deer whose habitat ranges from Pakistan, through northern India, to mainland southeast Asia...
, Sambar Deer
Sambar Deer
The Sambar ' is a large deer native to southern and southeast Asia. Although it primarily refers to R. unicolor, the name "Sambar" is also sometimes used to refer to the Philippine Deer and the Rusa Deer...
and Chital
Chital
The chital or cheetal , also known as chital deer, spotted deer or axis deer is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and in small numbers in Pakistan...
.
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
Hispid Hare
The Hispid hare Caprolagus hispidus, also called Assam rabbit is a leporid native to South Asia, whose historic range extended along the southern foothills of the Himalayas. Today, the habitat of hispid hares is highly fragmented with an area of occupancy of less than extending over an estimated...
, Golden Langur and Pygmy Hog
Pygmy Hog
Pygmy hog is an endangered species of small wild pig, previously spread across India, Nepal, and Bhutan but now only found in Assam. The current world population is about 150 individuals or fewer...
.
Manas houses more than 450 species of birds.Manas have the largest population of endangered Bengal Florican
Bengal Florican
The Bengal Florican , also called Bengal Bustard, is a very rare bustard species from tropical southern Asia. It is the only member of the genus Houbaropsis...
. The major other birds includes Giant Hornbills, Jungle Fowls, Bulbul
Bulbul
Bulbuls are a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds. Many forest species are known as greenbuls. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia to Indonesia, and north as far as Japan. A few insular species occur on the tropical islands...
s, Brahminy Ducks, Kalij Pheasant
Kalij Pheasant
The Kalij Pheasant, Lophura leucomelanos, is a pheasant found in forests and thickets, especially in the Himalayan foothills, from the Northern India to western Thailand. Males are rather variable depending on the subspecies involved, but all have an at least partially glossy bluish-black plumage,...
s, Egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s, Pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s, Fishing Eagles, Serpent Eagles, Falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s, Scarlet Minivet
Scarlet Minivet
The Scarlet Minivet, Pericrocotus flammeus is a small passerine bird. This minivet is found in tropical southern Asia from the Indian subcontinent east to southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They are common resident breeding birds in forests and other well-wooded habitats including...
s, Bee-Eater
Bee-eater
The bee-eaters are a group of near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa and Asia but others occur in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers...
s, Magpie Robins, Pied Hornbills, Grey Hornbill
Indian Grey Hornbill
The Indian Grey Hornbill is a common hornbill found on the Indian subcontinent. It is mostly arboreal and is commonly sighted in pairs. They have grey feathers all over the body with a light grey or dull white belly. The horn is black or dark grey with a casque extending up to the point of...
s, Mergansers, Harriers
Harrier (bird)
A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks forming the Circinae sub-family of the Accipitridae family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds....
, Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
s and Heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s.
Activities
The best way to watch wildlife at the park is to use powerful binoculars, with night visionNight vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
facilities at night. A popular way to explore a majority of the Manas National Park in Assam is in a 4-wheel (Jeep) drive petrol vehicle. Much more terrain becomes available if on an elephant ride, but these are usually restricted to a few kilometers near the gate. A raft ride on Manas river from Mathanguri ending 25 km downstream at Bansbari is also a popular option. These take you deep in to the densest areas of the forest and often right in between some of the wildlife there, including elephants, rhinos and wild buffaloes. The park is open from November to April, and is closed in the remaining period owing to the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
.
Lodging
Inside the park, one may stay at Mothanguri the forest department bungalow, or at a small facility run by the NGO Manas Ever Welfare Society (MEWS). Or one may stay at the park entrance in Bansbari, where there are two tourist lodges and also some cottages run by MEWS.Alternately, one may stay at Kokilabari in the Eastern range (traveling in from Pathsala), where a facility is run by the NGO MMES (Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society). Both the MMES and MEWS are constituted with volunteers from the fringe villages. MMES is the older group, and many of its workers were erstwhile members of the Bodo liberation struggle. The MMES camp has 4 ethnic cottages in a som plantation meant for rearing of famous muga silk of assam at the park boundary.
Approach
- Nearest airport: Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Borjhar, Guwahati
- Nearest railhead: Barpeta Road
- Nearest Highway: NH 31 (22 km away)
- Nearest town: The town of Barpeta RoadBarpeta RoadBarpeta Road is a city and a municipal board in Barpeta district in the state of Assam, India. It is one of the most important business places of Assam.-Location:...
is next to the park boundary and entrance. The district head-quarter BarpetaBarpetaBarpeta is the headquarters of Barpeta district, Assam, India. The city is located about north west of Guwahati.Barpeta is renowned in the Historical map of Assam as the "Land of the Satras"...
is about 44 km away from the entrance. - Nearest city: The city of GuwahatiGuwahatiGuwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
is 176 km away from the park.