Raimona and Dehing-Patkai- two new national parks of Assam

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The Raimona National Park in the Kokrajhar district of western Assam has enhanced the protection of Greater Manas Landscape.

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The gazette notification of Raimona district has boosted the protection of Greater Manas Landscape apart from apart from fulfilling the conditions of World Heritage Site committee.

On June 9 and June 16, Assam government declared Raimona and Dehing- Patkai as the two new national parks of the state. This has raised the count to 7 of the total national parks present in the state. The other five national parks are Kaziranga, Manas, Nameri, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa.

Kaziranga and Manas were included in the World Heritage list in 1985. Kaziranga maintained its status and continued to develop but Manas degraded due to felling of trees and extremism-linked poaching.

Raimona national park reflects huge conservation significance that has added value to Greater Manas Landscape.

This has happened due to foresighted leadership in the Bodoland Territorial Region assisted by the Assam government and the integrated efforts of the community, NGOs and 15 years of consistent conservation action through IFAW-WTI’s work.

Raimona is neighbor of the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal to the west, the Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Namgyal Wangchuk Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan to the north and Manas National Park to the east. This expresses into more than 3,000 sq. km in the Greater Manas Landscape.

Wildlife officials in Assam informed that the notification of Raimona has helped fulfil the propositions made by the UNESCO World Heritage Site committee in June 2011 for expansion of the Manas World Heritage Site property in three States.

India and Bhutan have a plan for transboundary conservation of Manas, whose Bhutan part is called the Royal Manas National Park and covers 1,000 sq. km.

Raimona has a high biodiversity with 11 different forest types and subtypes could be a blessing for nature lovers. The National Park has a significant population of golden langur, elephant, tiger, clouded leopard, wild buffalo, and more than 150 species of butterflies, and 170 species of birds.

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

IFAW was founded in 1969 by Brian Davies with the goal to stop the commercial hunt for whitecoat seals on the east coast of Canada.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare is a global non-profit helping animal and people thrive together. They are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans, and in more than 40 countries around the world. They rescue, rehabilitate, and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. They partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organizations, and businesses.

Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)

Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) established in 1998 is a leading Indian nature conservation organisation committed to the service of nature. Its mission is to conserve wildlife and its habitat and to work for the welfare of individual wild animals, in partnership with communities and governments.