Spectrum Tours » National parks in india » Manas National Park

Situated on a gentle slope in the foothills of the Himilayas, the Manas Sanctuary houses around 20 species of highly endangered birds and animals like tigers, pygmy hogs, elephants etc. The Manas reserve is also the primary habitat of the rare golden langur. November to March is the best time to visit the sanctuary.The Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam is a prime spot for viewing wildlife and offers glimpses of the elusive tiger through thick grass cover. At least 20 species of animals found in this park are highly endangered,Manas is a land of rivers that frequently change their course. The rivers Beki, Hel, Aio, Barnadi, Tanali, Sankosh and Manas gush through the reserve to join the Brahmaputra. This mighty river permeates every aspect of life in Assam, for its people and its wildlife. The reserve, north of the Brahmaputra, spills over into Bhutan where it is known as the Royal Bhutan National Park comprising nearly 1,000 sq km of forested hills.

On the Indian side, a 360 sq km sanctuary was established in 1928 on what was once the hunting preserve of the royal families of Cooch-Behar and Gauripur. In 1973, Project Tiger turned a 2,840-sq m area into a tiger reserve of which almost 500-sq km forms the Manas National Park. Manas's richly variegated landscape and diverse vegetation, from moist- deciduous to evergreen, and riverine forests to lush grasslands, and its wide range of endangered species, led it to being declared a World Heritage Site.

Mothanguri, where the river Manas enters India from Bhutan, is a wilderness dominated by the gushing river and forested hills liberally sprinkled with semul trees, the pinkish-red flowers blooming in February and March. Elephant rides, jeep drives and boat trips lead the visitor through remarkable topography and wild and dense vegetation. Of the more than 50 species of mammals here, the Golden Langur, although endangered, is regularly sighted. The 1997 census gives the tiger count as 89. From the riverside, Asian Water Buffalo glare at passing visitors, their horns longer and broader here than elsewhere in India. Gharials (long-snouted crocodiles) bask nearby in the sun. Huge tuskers can also be seen with Gaur, Hog-deer, otters, giant squirrels and various monkeys. The One-horned Rhinoceros is rarely sighted in Manas. Waterside and woodland birds range from tiny resplendent sunbirds to giant hornbills and pelicans.

Unfortunately, unprecedented social unrest and a host of other problems such as expanding tea plantations, poaching and developmental projects continue to threaten one of India's supreme wildlife reserves.