Lying in the foothills of the Himalayas on the border between India and Bhutan, Manas National Park has long been considered a crown jewel among India’s many spectacular wildlife reserves. Known for its breathtaking scenery and wildlife, the park is part of the largest conservation area in the region, its habitat linked with the forests of Bhutan in the north and the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal.
But the glory of Manas was damaged by a violent local agitation that began in 1989 to carve out a separate Bodo homeland within the Indian federation. An armed struggle caused massive upheaval and destruction of the Park’s infrastructure, including destruction of anti-poaching camps, roads and bridges and killing of forest staff.
Declared a World Heritage Site in December 1985, Manas had fallen to a World Heritage Site “in danger” by 1992 as it became a battleground in a protracted insurgent war. The last rhino in Manas disappeared in 1996.