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Manas National Park
- A World Heritage Site
About 176 kilometres from Guwahati, the world heritage
site, Manas National Park lies just in between Kaziranga
and Jaldapada. Make a trip to Manas National Park - a
world heritage site, one of those few places that has the
ability to hold a visitor spellbound, the main reason
being the 540sq km of diverse topography and rich flora
and fauna.
The lifeline of the Park, Manas River forms a natural
boundary between India and the Himalayan Kingdom of
Bhutan. In the lower stretches of the river basin, small
clusters of trees dot vast stretches of sand.
This kind of topography is home to small herds of wild
buffaloes and fishing birds that fly screeching over the
river in search of prey. Move a little away from the bank
and you will enter a thick jungle of broad-leaved trees,
where even sunlight fails to make its way to the ground.
On the other side of the jungle, majestic herds of
elephants wade through swamps and tall elephant grass
(although in comparison to the other National Parks, it is
very difficult to spot the elephants here). There are
nullahs, or streams, hillocks; almost everything that you
would wish to see in a Manas National Park situated in the
foothills of the Himalayas.Just make a holiday trip to
Manas National Park.
Most Desired Destination For Wildlife
Manas National Park enjoys a very special status in terms
of wildlife in the sub continent for two reasons: it has a
much longer visiting season and it is home to twenty-two
of the sub-continent’s fifty-four endangered species. Some
like the hispid hare and pigmy hog are found only here.
Yet, unlike in Kaziranga, where sightings are very common
because of open spaces and swamps, in Manas a visitor may
not come across too many animals. By taking up a holiday
trip to Manas national park to sight the wild at such
close quarters that often the visitor is left spell bound.
Travelling In The Wilds
Make a trip through the gravel road from Barpeta to Manas
National Park during the wee hours of the morning or late
in the evening. Drive past the Bansbari tea estate and as
you enter the open grassland, look out for the extremely
rare species of the hispid hare. This is an elusive
rabbit-like animal, about 47 centimetres in length. The
back and the tail are dark brown and the breast is whitish
in colour. After a sharp turn, you might find an extremely
alert pair staring directly into the headlights of your
jeep. |
