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Manas Wildlife Sanctuary :India February 15, 2006

The Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, a Project Tiger reserve, lies among the foothills of the Bhutan Himalayas, in the far eastern state of Assam. The park, which spreads over 2,837 sq km, is a vast, relatively unspoilt expanse of low-lying sal forests and grasslands. The core area of the reserve lies in Kokrajhar and Barpeta districts, whereas its outlying areas spread over the neighbouring forest reserve divisions of North Kamrup, Western Assam Wildlife Division, Kachugaon and Haltugaon. To the north lies the Royal Manas National Park, in Bhutan.

Manas National Park is 176km from Guwahati, which is the nearest major airport. The capital of Assam, Guwahati has regular flights coming in from most major cities in India, and getting to Manas from here isn’t a problem. It actually makes a lot of sense to drive down because the roads are very motorable. State transport authorities and private operators have bus services to Manas from Guwahati. You can also hire taxis to Manas from Guwahati.

In the past- especially over the last decade- Manas has faced a number of problems, including deforestation, poaching and insurgency, all of which have taken a toll on the park’s wildlife. The park remained closed to visitors for some years, and although it’s open now, the situation’s still unsure. If you’re keen on visiting Manas, make prior enquiries at the nearest Assam Tourism Development Corporation office, and find out whether it’s safe or not to go ahead. In any case, you’ll need to make arrangements through the ATDC, who will ensure that a police escort is provided.

This beautiful Manas Wildlife Sanctuary was previously known as North Kamrup and was declared a sanctuary on October 1, 1928, with parts of it having been notified as reserved forests as early as 1907 and 1927. It was established as the core of the Manas Tiger Reserve from April 1973 and consecutively inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1985 and elevated to the position of a National Park status on September 7, 1990.


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