The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary opened its doors for tourists on the Friday.
State Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary was the chief guest for the occasion of the reopening. Cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika also accompanied Patowary during the opening ceremony.
After inaugurating the wildlife sanctuary, Assam forest minister Chandramohan Patowary said that he expects a good turnout of tourists this year.
“Registration have begun online now. We are expecting a better turnout of tourists this year. I thank the local here for maintaining this wildlife sanctuary and there has been no complaint from tourists so far. Hence this place is getting popular. And this is bringing in new hotels and resorts here. So we expect to keep getting the people’s support for the future,” said Patowary.
Meanwhile, cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika said that they are improving the infrastructure in the area so that more tourists come over to enjoy Pobitora’s natural beauty.
“Last year about 26,000 tourists visited Pobitora. I feel a lot of people come to the Pobitora region even if everyone does not come to the wildlife sanctuary. Several picnic spots have emerged in the Pobitora and Mayong region. We have built roads to facilitate the entry of tourists in these areas. And the people of Mayong have created a tourist friendly environment at Pobitora and Mayong,” said Hazarika.
This year, the sanctuary has been opened with 13 elephant safaris and 20 jeep safaris. Both Chandramohan Patowary and Pijush Hazarika enjoyed elephant safari rides today as part of the opening ceremony.
Pobitora boasts of 107 rhinoceros, more than 500 wild buffaloes, more than a hundred wild boars and almost 385 varieties of birds of both local and foreign variety. With such a rich wildlife diversity, Pobitora has fast become an attractive destination for rhino watching after the world famous Kaziranga National Park.
Apart from this, the advent of winter makes it a hub of migratory birds.
Almost all the reserve forests across the country close during the monsoons. This saves the wild animals from disturbance by the visiting tourists during the breeding season.
In the context of the parks in the Northeastern region, this closure allows the free movement of animals to higher grouds as the low lying plains gets flooded. The parks reopen when the monsoon comes to an end and the water gradually dries up. It is generally done towards the end of September or start of October.
The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the edge of the Guwahati city, making it a popular destination for the tourists. Even people spending very a limited amount of time in the region often visit this park.
The key attractions of this park include the one horned rhinoceros and deer among animals and a large number of birds. Located in the Morigaon district of the state, the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary receives lakhs of migratory birds visit this park in the winters every year. This makes the park a favorite destination for the bird watchers and photographers from across the globe.
