Manas National Park starts elephant safaris in Bansbari, Bhuyanpara

Manas National Park began elephant safaris for the season on Sunday, November 1, adding a key attraction to the UNESCO World Heritage Site a month after it reopened to visitors, NKTV reported.

The rides have been launched in two ranges, Bansbari and Bhuyanpara. Eight elephants belonging to the Forest Department will be used to take domestic and foreign tourists into the park.

Launch with prayers

A programme was held at the Bansbari range to mark the start, with traditional rituals and prayers performed before the first rides set off. Bansbari Range Officer Nitesh Boro attended. Several groups of tourists went out on the elephants soon after the service was formally opened.

The launch came on the same day that Kaziranga National Park resumed its own elephant safaris with 43 elephants in the Kohora and Bagori ranges.

Timings

According to the schedule shared by park authorities, both ranges will run two morning shifts, from 6 am to 7 am and from 7 am to 8 am.

• Bansbari range: closed every Tuesday
• Bhuyanpara range: closed every Thursday

Elephant care sessions at Mahal Camp

Visitors can also take part in an elephant-care programme at the Mahal Camp in Bansbari, held daily from 3 pm to 4 pm except on Tuesdays. During the session, tourists can watch elephants being bathed and fed and interact with mahouts under supervision. Authorities said both the safaris and the care sessions would be run with attention to tourist safety and the health and welfare of the elephants.

A park on the rebound

Manas reopened for the season on October 2 and has drawn a steady stream of visitors from across India and abroad since then, the report said. Spread along the foothills of the Bhutan Himalaya, the park is known for its tigers, Asian elephants, wild water buffalo, golden langur and the critically endangered pygmy hog, and for its successful rhino reintroduction programme. On Saturday, the birth of a calf in the family of Ganga, a rhino rescued during Kaziranga's 2004 floods and moved to Manas in 2007, drew fresh attention to the park's recovery.

Visitors are advised to confirm current rates and booking procedures with the park authorities before travelling, since elephant safaris are limited and usually fill up early.