|  | MANAS
Manas it was once remarked, is what'the earth looked like before the arrival of man, a jewel encrusted on land reflecting nature's varied and brilliant hues. From its source in the fabled and remote reaches of the Bhutan Himalayas, the Manas river rumbles and svarts, tumultously down a rugged mountain valley, past steep cliff-sides and over awesome gorges and fiery rapids, meeting the plains at the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, where mild zephyrs waft across the forests, and howling winds blow down from the gorges. The verdant foliage of trees and undergrowth several blooms of flowers, wild fruit and the resplendent cascades of orchids make the air delicious. The chitter-chatter of small creatures, the unceasing screech of the cicadas, the music of bird calls in their extreme scale of notes orchestrate the mellifluous harmonies of the jungle as does the trumpeting of the elephants, the rutting or alarm call of deer, the mooing of the thundering herds of buffalo and gaur and the windstorm of leaves in the wake of a family of Golden langur. And from somewhere deep in the jungles, his home and haven, comes the grand and unforgettable deep throated roar of the Indian Tiger. The Tiger solitary and reclusive, effortless and unperturbed in its majesty, fabulous in might, is undoubtedly the most awe-inspiring sight to behold when it roams free in the wilds. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the largest of its kind in India, came under the aegis of Project Tiger in 1973, a natural and immediate choice considering its wide spectrum of diversified and highly dynamic habitat types that already harboured the largest number of animal species in the country, (and interest- ingly, 20 of the 41 endangered species listed in Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Act), Endemic species such as Golden langur and Pygmy hog are found here and nowhere else. More than 320 species of birds including the Florican and three species of hornbills have been recorded. Mammals include five species of primates, nine species of cats, four of civets, five deer, as well as the Indian rhino, water buffalo, gaur dhole, hispid hare, and innumerable other life forms unique to this region. Manas was declared a Sanctuary way back in 1928, indicative of the awareness of the potential of the area even then, but development was constrained by lack of resources. With the advent of Project Tiger, the situation improved vastly and barriers were gradually surmounted. Introduc- tion of sophisticated equipment including wireless sets, jet boats and fast-moving vehicles enabled speedy communication and coupled with better trained anti-poaching staff led to effective tackling of the highly organised, clandestine poaching activities. Grazing of domestic cattle in the core area has been phased out from as early as 1964-65. Stringent and scientific measures are continually exercised over the core area of 391 sq km and all the buffer zones covering a total area of 2837 sq km, that includes a unique international co-operative effort with the Royal Govt. of Bhutan, in which country a part of the composite habitat is located.
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