Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
Assam
Photos
_from_Manas_National_Park_DSCN4584.jpg/960px-Indian_rhinoceros_(Rhinoceros_unicornis)_from_Manas_National_Park_DSCN4584.jpg)
This park was on the UNESCO danger list for twenty years. Getting it off again is one of the least-known conservation recoveries in Asia.
What you're looking at
A national park, tiger reserve and elephant reserve on the Assam–Bhutan border, running up against the Himalayan foothills. The Manas river comes down out of Bhutan through the middle of it. Grassland, riverine forest and hills, continuous with the Royal Manas National Park on the Bhutanese side.
Why it matters
Manas was inscribed in 1985 and then placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992 after years of insurgency, poaching and the loss of its rhino population entirely. Local Bodo communities became central to its protection, rhinos were reintroduced, and it came off the danger list in 2011. It is also the last stronghold of several species found almost nowhere else.
Look for these
01
Golden langurs
A cream-and-gold monkey found only in a small area between Assam and Bhutan, and one of the rarest primates in India. Manas is the reliable place to see them.
02
Pygmy hog
The world's smallest wild pig, once thought extinct, surviving essentially only here and being bred for reintroduction. You are unlikely to see one, but this is where it lives.
03
Rhinos that were brought back
The rhino population was wiped out entirely during the years of conflict. The animals you see are descended from reintroductions — the recovery made visible.
04
Mathanguri and the river
The forest bungalow area where the Manas river comes down from Bhutan. The hills on the far bank are another country.
05
Bengal florican in the grassland
One of the rarest bustards in the world breeds in these grasslands, which is a large part of why the grass is managed the way it is.
Before you go
- November to April. The park closes during the monsoon.
- Bansbari is the main range and the usual entry; Mathanguri is deeper in, on the river.
- It is quieter and wilder-feeling than Kaziranga, with far fewer visitors — and correspondingly fewer guaranteed sightings.
- Guwahati is about 150 km away.
- Elephant and jeep safaris both operate; river rafting on the Manas is possible in season.
Visitor guide to Manas Wildlife Sanctuary.
Visiting
Entry fee and daily timings weren't available from an official source — please confirm on site.
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