The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is a famous tourist destination in the State of Assam. This is primarily a wildlife reserve in the Morigaon district of Assam and the place is located about 30 kilo metres east of the city of Guwahati, the capital city of Assam. This Wildlife Sanctuary is about 48 km by road from Guwahati and around a 1-hour drive through a road passing by River Brahmaputra, and a small portion of the village of Mayong. Over the course of years, this place has become a famous destination for tourists and travelers coming to Assam and Meghalaya.
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is nestled in the grasslands of Assam which is the dwelling place of the Greater Indian One-Horned Rhinoceroses with its highest population in the whole world. The sanctuary is landlocked by Assamese villages from every side of it with the traditional Assamese culture. Overall, the terrain of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is a breathtaking experience for any traveler or an admirer of nature.
Situated in the floodplains of the mighty Brahmaputra River, the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is home to the endangered one-horned-rhinoceros. Although quite small for a sanctuary, the density of rhinoceros in Pobitora is quite high. On a visit to this wildlife sanctuary, you can easily spot several group of rhinos roaming in the wilderness. You can even get very close to the rhinos during an elephant ride in the sanctuary. The swampy marshlands of Pobitora are not only ideal for rhinos but also provide shelter to other animals such as feral semi-wild buffalo, wild boar and jackal.
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. The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary covers flat flood plains and a hills.
What You Can See in the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
A) One Horned Rhinos – Pobitora is popularly known as ‘miniature Kaziranga’ for its highest density of one horned rhino found across the world. It is situated in the flood plains of River Brahmaputra in the district of Morigaon and 45 kms from Guwahati. Once the grazing reserve of erstwhile Nagaon district, Pobitora came into limelight during 1961-62 for the presence of one horned rhino.
Besides one horned rhino, the protected area is a paradise for both resident and migratory birds at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary is also identified as an important Bird Area in the Country by the Bombay Natural History Society. The presence of migratory water fowls during winter is quite significant in Pobitora as large numbers of birds migrate to this sanctuary from other colder regions.
B) River Dolphins – The fresh eater Dolphins or South Asian River Dolphins are primarily found in the rivers of Ganga and Brahmaputra in India. It is often called as ‘Susu’ or ‘Hihu’ in the local dialect. It can mainly be seen in the South Asia namely the Indian Subcontinent Region. Scientifically called as ‘Platanista gangetica,’ these rare Dolphins have survived through the ages in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. Recognized by the Government of India as the National Aquatic Animals, these species are considered to have a whole number of mere 2500 around the world. Being the inhabitants of the river Brahmaputra, the fresh water Dolphins are also known as the Gangetic Dolphins.
C) Oriental Pied Hornbill – The Oriental Pied Hornbill birds have a large size, attractive colors, big crooked yellow beaks and a hollow hornlike structure or “casque”. Oriental Pieds have a large size, attractive colors, big crooked yellow beaks and a hollow hornlike structure or “casque” above their beaks which they use to make crackling noise. The female bird remains in the nest at the nesting time with the probably hatching eggs. She becomes entirely dependent upon the male bird for the food for herself and the newly born offsprings. This bird is a kind of species of horn bill birds found mostly around Assam and North East India, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam.
If you a nature lover and want to see One Horned Rhinoceros and Oriental Pied Hornbill birds, then this is the place for you. You can visit the place and experience nature with great views of Rhinos around you.
Jeep safaris and elephant rides are a must do for every wildlife enthusiast coming to see the beauty of Pobitora. The place as mentioned before is merely 30 kms from Guwahati. Tourists can also enjoy great Assamese cuisines in the nearby restaurants and hotels. We provide tourist cars for your trip to the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary at no extra cost. You can book our cars from Shillong and Guwahati and pay later.
