_{File Photo: (from left) Vivek Menon (CEO, WTI), MC Malakar (then Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam) and Kampa Borgoyary (Deputy Chief, Bodoland Territorial Council) at the inauguration of Greater Manas  following the BTC’s political declaration on February 24, 2008}

Kokrajhar, Bodoland Territorial Area District, Assam, August 19, 2016: With the signing and formal issuance of a Final Gazette Notification by the Government of Assam, an area of 350 sq km from the eastern part of the Manas Reserve Forest has now been officially declared as the First Addition to Manas National Park.

The event is a significant milestone in ongoing conservation efforts, led since 2003 by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and the Assam Forest Department, to ‘Bring Back Manas’, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose flora and fauna were ravaged by militancy through the late 1980s and 1990s.

The land that has been notified as the First Addition is contiguous to the (former) western boundary of Manas National Park and has the international border with Bhutan as its northern limit. In 2008 this land, along with a larger area encompassing the Ripu and Chirang Reserve Forests to the west, was announced as a protected area in a significant political declaration by the BTC. This followed an IFAW-WTI field study that established the rich faunal wealth of these regions, with over 24 species of mammals and 270 species of birds, including the Asian elephant, tiger, golden langur, gaur, greater adjutant stork, four species of hornbill and 12 species of woodpeckers being recorded. The formal inclusion of this 350 sq km area into the National Park goes a step further, giving it enhanced protection under the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972.

“At a time when the denotification of protected areas has become the norm, this decision by the Government of Assam is momentous”, said Vivek Menon, CEO of WTI and Senior Advisor to the President, IFAW. “We have been working towards the dream of ‘Greater Manas’ for over a decade now; the Bodoland Territorial Council’s political declaration of 2008 was a crucial first step and this notification is a historic second step towards that dream. It is a good time to remember the friends who have been with us every step of the way, and I would especially like to congratulate Mr Kampa Borgoyary, BTC’s Deputy Chief and Minister, Forest and Education for his mentoring of the political will for conserving Manas.”

At a press meet held to announce the Final Gazette Notification at the BTC Secretariat yesterday, Mr Borgoyary said: “This is one of the greatest achievements after the formation of the Bodoland Territorial Council in 2003. It will help in better management of the forests and wildlife of Manas National Park. The area will get better attention and protection measures.”

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to IFAW-WTI for their continuous support in the conservation of forests and wildlife of BTC for over a decade”, he added. “Today, they are a part of this historic achievement of the First Addition to Manas National Park. I would also like to offer my sincere thanks to Mr BN Talukdar, who provided technical guidance, and Mr BN Patiri, Mr Subhasish Das, Ms Sonali Ghosh, Mr Gautam Uzir, Mr GC Basumatary, Mr Suresh Chand and Mr A Sworgowari for their stellar contributions to this endeavour. Finally, I would like to thank the Hon’ble Governor of Assam and Ms Pramila Rani Brahma, Minister, Environment and Forest, Government of Assam for this great achievement.”

The press meet was attended by senior forest officials including Mr A Sworgowari (Additional PCCF and CHD Forests, BTC) Mr HK Sarma (Field Director, Manas Tiger Project, BTC) and WTI’s Sanatan Deka.