Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary

Located in the Morigaon District of Assam, at a distance of about 50 km east of Guwahati, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for being the home to the largest number of one-horned rhinoceros. Encompassing the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River, this wildlife sanctuary has a moist marshland which is an ideal habitat for the wild buffalos, rhinos, and wild boars. Sprawling over an area of 38.80 sq km, the natural periphery of the wildlife sanctuary is river Brahmaputra on the North and the Garanga Beel on the south and is encircled by 27 villages. Although, the total area of the sanctuary is 38.80 sq km, only 16 sq km is ideal as a habitat for the rhino.
 

Originally a grazing reserve of Nagaon District, it came into attention only during the year 1961-62 for unearthing the One Horned Rhinoceros. In the year 1971, it was declared as a reserved forest and in the year 1987, it got the recognition as Wildlife Sanctuary. According to the last official census, which was carried out in the year 1995 for Rhinoceros, recorded a total number of 68 Rhinos, including adults, sub-adults, calf but now there are about 93 rhinos. Thus, the place bragd of being world’s most concentrated abode of rhinos. Besides Rhinoceros the other animals are Leopard, Wild boar, Barking deer, wild buffalo etc. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to over 2000 migratory birds and various reptiles. Owing to the rich birdlife, the sanctuary is also called 'Bharatpur of the East'. Lying alongside the Brahmaputra River, this sanctuary is situated on a flood plain and the soil is called fertile clayey-loam with silt. After Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park, Pobitora is one of the most important reserves for the protection of Indian rhinos. According to folklore, the King of Mayong gave the name Pobitara to the forest after his lovely daughter who died at a young age.
 

The sanctuary is about an hour’s drive from Guwahati, which makes it one of the most frequented tourist places and an ideal stopover spot. Common leopard, Jungle cat, Fishing cat, Flying fox, Leopard cat, Short nosed fruit bat, Rhesus macaque, Barking deer, Grey mask shrew, Large Indian civet cat, Small Indian civet cat, Common fox, Common house rat, Three striped squirrel, Rufous-tailed hare, Crab eating mongoose, Jackal, Small Indian mongoose, Chinese pangolin, Indian otter, over 214 species of birds, 36 species of fish, 08 species of water turtle and terrapin, are some of the wildlife, avifauna and amphibians found in the sanctuary apart from the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, wild buffaloes and wild boars.