Exploring Manas National Park: Ecotourism and wildlife at its best

The one-horned rhinoceros and its famous home, Assam, has fascinated me since time immemorial. Reading led me to discover Assam’s Manas National Park, a project tiger and elephant reserve, located on the border with Bhutan. I really wanted to visit Assam, experience its rich diversity of flora and fauna along with its rich culture. But it was Manas National Park I secretly wanted to visit the most.

The park is known for its rare and endangered, endemic wildlife which includes the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur, pygmy hog and wild water buffaloes. Having visited national parks and sanctuaries before, I could not let go of this opportunity to experience the rare species hidden in the grasslands of this lesser-known national park.

Manas National Park has many privileged tags attached to it. Due to its exceptional biodiversity and variety of habitats, it is a biosphere reserve. According to UNESCO, biosphere reserves are ‘learning places for sustainable development’, involving local communities and all interested stakeholders in planning and management. In fact, Manas was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1985. Initially, Manas was established as an elephant reserve in 2003 because of the abundant elephant population here. It was in 2006 that the pride of Assam, the one-horned rhinoceros was introduced to this park. It is currently home to myriad species of plants and animals – 58 species of mammals, 430 species of birds and 900 species of vascular plants are recorded in the park.

To preserve nature’s treasure endowed on it, Manas National Park boasts of eco-tourism; responsible travel to natural areas that help conserve the environment and also sustain the local people, without disturbing the fragile balance of the eco-system.

In the last few years, I have consciously tried to travel responsibly in a bid to minimize my participation in pollution of any kind. In doing so, I have witnessed some of the most serene and offbeat destinations. Today, when I come across litter, non-sustainable practices and insensitive attitudes towards precious flora and fauna while travelling, I make sure to mention the amazing efforts of sustainability by Manas National Park.

The turnaround for Manas National Park

Years ago,  Manas National Park had fallen prey to the illegal timber trade and poaching of wild animals. There was severe destruction of the forest and the wildlife of the area. Good sense prevailed on the youth of the area, who gathered and educated the people of the villages around to protect Manas and promote tourism to generate employment for the local people. With the aim to enhance and build sustainable tourism opportunities in the park, an eco-tourism project was initiated here. Eco-camps were established to help tourists enjoy their stay at Manas National Park in a pristine natural environment.

Further, a brilliant initiative was undertaken when the poachers were turned into guards of the forests since they knew the area very well. The tourists now go for walks with these guards who are now protectors and not destroyers of the park.

Travellers also get to choose from a plethora of options – including jeep safari, elephant safari, trekking, village visits, local folk dances and songs, bird watching tours, etc.

Safari and a starry night

In the Indian north east, the sun rises quite early. So we got up early and prepared to embark on a safari. As far as our eyes could see, there were the grasslands with the chirping birds breaking the eerie silence of the night right at the crack of dawn. Suddenly, we spotted a herd of elephants taking a bath in the Manas River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra  flowing through the heart of the park. The same herd of elephants then moved to the track, playing and shielding each other. It was sheer delight watching them. Although the intriguing tiger eluded us, we saw the wild water buffaloes and the golden langur.

It was time to head back to our camp and with a heavy heart, we bid adieu to the amazing wildlife of Manas National Park.

At night, we were served dinner that consisted of lip-smacking Assamese delicacies. The Bodo tribe, which takes pride in their customs, traditions and culture, presented an evening of folk dances around the bonfire. The time I spent under that starry night, with mesmerizing performances, drool-worthy food, is one of my best. It made me feel one with nature and I will cherish it forever.