Royal Manas National Park
Sarpang
Royal Manas National Park is Bhutan's oldest and one of its most ecologically significant protected areas, covering over 1,057 square kilometers. It spans parts of Sarpang, Zhemgang, and Pemagatshel districts and serves as a vital genetic repository for valuable plants. The park features diverse habitats from lowland tropical forests to permanent ice fields, hosting ecoregions such as Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests and Himalayan subtropical pine forests. It is home to flagship species including Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, gaur, golden langur, pygmy hog, hispid hare, Ganges river dolphin, and uniquely in Bhutan, the one-horned rhinoceros and wild water buffalo. The park also supports hundreds of bird species, notably four hornbill species. Connected via biological corridors to other Bhutanese protected areas and bordering India's Manas National Park, it forms a crucial transboundary conservation landscape. Human presence is limited, with around 5,000 residents in remote villages. Entry to the public is prohibited to protect its fragile ecosystems and wildlife.
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Tip: As public entry is prohibited, visitors are advised to explore other nearby protected areas in Bhutan or visit Manas National Park across the border in India. For researchers or authorized personnel, coordination with Bhutan's Department of Forests and Park Services is essential. The best time to appreciate the park's biodiversity is during Bhutan's dry seasons when wildlife activity is higher, though access remains restricted.
Interesting facts
- •Royal Manas is Bhutan's oldest national park and considered a conservation showpiece by the Royal government.
- •It shares a border with India's UNESCO World Heritage Site Manas National Park, forming a transboundary conservation area.
- •The park is the only one in Bhutan inhabited by the one-horned rhinoceros and wild water buffalo.
- •It hosts four species of hornbills: rufous-necked, wreathed, pied, and great Indian.
- •The Manas River supports three rare migratory mahseer fish species: deep-bodied, golden, and chocolate mahseer.
History
Royal Manas National Park was among the earliest conservation focuses of the Bhutan Trust Fund in the early 1990s, receiving significant infrastructure development and baseline biological and socio-economic assessments.
It was the site of Bhutan's first park management plan, which has guided the management of other national parks in the country.
Over the decades, it has been developed as a conservation showpiece and genetic depository for Bhutan's flora and fauna.
Its role has expanded as part of a network of biological corridors connecting multiple protected areas, enhancing landscape-level conservation.
