Named after the Manas River (and the serpent goddess Manasa), Manas National Park was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1928, a biosphere reserve in 1973, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in 1985 and then finally a National Park in 1990. UNESCO declared it a ‘world heritage site in danger’ in 1992, due to heavy poaching and terrorist activities. It was removed from the list in 2011 and was commended for its efforts in preservation. With an area of 950 sq.km, it is both a tiger reserve and an elephant reserve. The sanctuary has recorded 55 species of mammals, 380 species of birds, 50 reptiles and 3 species of amphibians, of which 31 species are threatened. The Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests make Manas one of the richest biodiversity areas in the world.

Highlights