Manas National Park

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Manas National Park is a National Park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage (in danger) site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam, India. Located in the Himalayan foothills with a part extends to Bhutan. The park is well know 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.

1 Origin of the name
2 History of the Park
3 Geography of the Park
4 Natural History of the Park
5 Park-specific information
- 5.1 Activities
- 5.2 Approach
6 External Links

[edit] Origin of the name

The name of the park is originated from the Manas river, which is named after the serpent god Manasa. Manas river is a major tributary of Brahmaputra river, which passes through the heart of the national park.

[edit] History of the Park

The Assam Manas National Park was declared a sanctuary on October 01, 1928 and was declared a World Heritage site in December 1985 by UNESCO. In 1992, UNESCO declares it as a world heritage site in danger due to heavy poaching and terrorist activites.

[edit] Geography of the Park

Political Geography: The park is located in the Kamrup district, in the state of Assam in India.

Physical Geography: Manas is located in the Eastern Himalayas foothills. The park is densly 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 bedrock of the savanna area in the north of the park is made up of Limestone and sandstone, wheras 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.

[edit] Natural History of the Park

[edit] Biomes

There are two major biomes are present in Manas :

The grassland biome
The forest biome

[edit] Flora

The main vegetation types present in the Manas are:

Sub-Himalayan Light Alluvial Semi-Evergreen forests present in the northern parts of the park
East Himalayan mixed Moist and Dry Deciduous forests -the most common type found in the park
Low Alluvial Savanna Woodland
Assam Valley Semi-Evergreen Alluvial Grasslands which cover almost 50% of the Park.

A total of 543 plants species have been recorded from the core zone of the park. Out of these, 374 species are dicotyledons (including 89 trees), 139 species monocotyledons and 30 are Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms.

[edit] Fauna

The park 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 park includes Tigers, Elephants, Rhinoceros, Wild Buffaloes, Leopards, Clouded Leopards Black Panthers, 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 know 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, Khaleej Pheasants, Egrets, Pelicans, Fishing Eagles, Serpent Eagles, Falcons, Scarlet Minivets, Bee-Eaters, Magpie Robins, Pied Hornbills, Gray Hornbills, Mergansers, Harriers, Ospreys and Herons.

[edit] Park-specific information

[edit] Activities

The best way to watch wildlife at the park is to use powerful binoculars, with night vision facilities at night. The ideal way to explore a majority of the Manas National Park in Assam is in a 4-wheel (Jeep) drive petrol vehicle. A boat ride on Manas river which commences its ride from Mathanguri and ends around 35km away is another popular option. The third option, which are a favourite with most visitors, are the elephant rides organised by the park authorities from Mathanguri. 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 closed in the Monsoon season.