ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
It is considered to be an ideal habitat for the Bengal florican. It is a paradise for many migratory birds. Reptiles and fish are also found here. Indian rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, wild buffalo, hog deer, wild pigs and occasionally a herd of elephants. Birds species in the area are the Bengal florican, black-necked stork, mallard, openbill stork, teal, whistling duck and many others.
Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary
Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary is a 26.22-squarekilometre( 10.12 sq mi) wildlife sanctuary situated on the foothills of Himalayas bordering Bhutan in the north and in Udalguri district & Baksa District of Assam. This sanctuary is named after the river Bornadi which flows on its western border. It is 30 km( 19 mi) from Tangla town town and 130 km( 81 mi) from Guwahati. The sanctuary was established in 1980 to protect the hispid hare( Caprolagus hispidus) and pigmy hog( Porcula salvania). The climate of the area is sub-tropical.
There are mammals such as the pygmy hog, golden langur, clouded leopard, hoolock gibbon and white-winged wood duck. There are also some migratory and local birds like peafowl, hornbill, swamp partridge, Bengal florican, kingfisher, woodpecker, etc.
Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary
The Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area located in the state of Assam in India. This wildlife sanctuary covers 175 km2. It is located along the foothills of the Great Himalayan Range. The area was declared as a sanctuary in 1998. It is located 52 km from Tezpur town and 193 km away from Guwahati.
Mammals: tiger, lesser cats, elephant, qaur, wild boar, hog deer and barking deer. Birds: white winged wood duck, hornbill, pelican, and various types of migratory birds. Reptiles: python, Russell’ s viper, etc.
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
Pobitora or Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife reserve in the Morigaon district of the state of Assam in India. It is located about 30 km east of Guwahati. The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is about 48 km by road from Guwahati. It is a 1-hour drive through a road passing by River Brahmaputa, and a small portion of the village of Mayong. It has a dense population of the Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros It covers 38.8 km2. Though the total notified area of the park is 38.80 square kilometres, only 16 square kilometres is the effective rhino habitat. Pobitora was declared a reserved forest in 1971 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1987. It covers flat flood plains and a hillock( Raja Mayong).
Pobitora is mainly famous for its great Indian One-horned rhinoceros. Besides rhinoceros, the other animals are leopard, wild boar, Barking deer, wild buffalo etc. Assam’ s Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to more than 2000 migratory birds and various reptiles. It is also an Important Bird Area. In Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, there are now around 93 rhinos, a ten per cent increase over the last six years. These 93 rhinos are surviving on merely 16 square kilometre area of the park. Pobitora has exceeded its rhino-bearing capacity and is overpopulated.
The animals have begun moving outside the sanctuary in search of food, and chances of serious man-animal conflict are quite rife. Besides, the straying animals carry the risk of contracting diseases that afflict domestic animals. Under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020( IRV 2020) which is a joint programme of the department of environment & forests, Govt of Assam, WWF India, the International Rhino Foundation and the US fish & wildlife service, six rhinos were translocated from Pobitora and re-introduced into the Manas National Park between December 2010 and January 2011. Earlier, under the same programme, two rhinos were similarly translocated from Pobitora to the Manas national Park in 2008. Pobitora is very beautiful place.
Pobitora is also home to over 375 species of birds. Pobitora is running a successful Rhino breeding program within its sanctuary. It is running under Indian Government as“ Indian Rhino vision 2020”. Places to see in pobitora include Haduk Hanging bridge and Garanga Beel pond. Elephant rides and jeep safaris are major activities which are held by management.
68 Vol 2 | Issue 1 | Mar- May 2017