After monsoon break, Pobitora to reopen on Oct 23 with safaris, restored facilities

Morigaon, Oct 21: The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam will reopen on October 23 after being shut for the monsoon season.

Ranger Pranjal Baruah said the infrastructure in the sanctuary, damaged during the monsoon season, has been repaired and renovated.

"We will reopen the sanctuary on October 23. With the onset of winter, it is expected to attract a large number of migratory birds, wooing both foreign and domestic tourists,” he said.

From the first day itself, both jeep and elephant safaris will be available for the tourists, he added.

The sanctuary, located in Morigaon district and about 35 km from Guwahati, was declared in 1998, combining the Pobitora Reserve Forest and Raja Mayang Hill Reserve Forest.

Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, spread across an area of 38.81 sq km, harbours the world’s highest density of one-horned rhinoceros. The habitat comprises Assam alluvial grasslands, hilly forests and wetlands.

It houses 107 (as per the 2022 census) Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros. It also has other wildlife like 22 species of mammals, 27 species of reptiles, nine species of amphibians, 41 species of fish and 375 species of birds, according to the official website.

Apart from rhinos, other mammals found are leopard, fishing cat, jungle cat, feral buffalo, wild boar, Chinese pangolin and different types of deer.

Earlier, Pobitora recorded a 14% rise in tourist footfall this season, reflecting its growing popularity among wildlife enthusiasts.

Known for having the highest density of one-horned rhinoceroses, Pobitora welcomed 34,535 visitors, including 637 foreign tourists.

This marks a significant increase from the previous year, when 30,305 tourists, including 541 foreigners, visited the sanctuary.

The sanctuary has earned praise for its effective anti-poaching measures, with the last reported case of rhino poaching occurring in 2016.

With inputs from PTI