Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary

Visits to Assam; especially Kaziranga are not complete if you do not take time out to meet our close genetic cousin and the only Ape found in India - The Hoolock Gibbon. More precisely, the Western Hoolock Gibbon(Hoolock hoolock)

The Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, formerly known as the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary or Hollongapar Reserve Forest, is an isolated protected area of evergreen forest located in Assam, India. The sanctuary was officially constituted and renamed in 1997. Set aside initially in 1881, its forests used to extend to the foothills of the Patkai mountain range. 

Since then, the forest has been fragmented and surrounded by tea gardens and small villages. In the early 1900s, artificial regeneration was used to a develop well-stocked forest, resulting in the site's rich biodiversity. The Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary contains India's only gibbons – the hoolock gibbons.

There is a folktale that describes the name Hoollongapar comes from the tall straight timbered trees (Dipterocarpus macrocarpus). The name Hollong is possibly a shortening of "How Long"; apparently a regular question asked by the British sahibs, whenever a tree was cut for its timber. Hollong is a medium hardwood, timber tree. It grows naturally in forests of upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

As to the sanctuary itself, the isolation of the park by numerous tea gardens creates a geographic barrier for migrating animals.Growing populations of tea garden workers also threatens the habitat since many people rely on the forest for firewood, traditional medicine and food. Large quantities of leaves and grass are collected from the forests to feed cattle. During the rainy season, herbicides and pesticides from the tea gardens wash through the sanctuary. 

The tea gardens are also used by elephants as a migration route to Nagaland, making them vulnerable to frequent poaching. The Railway line further divides the park, stranding a single group of gibbons in the smaller fragment. Illegal logging and the encroachment by local people employed by the tea gardens also degrades the habitat quality.

The Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary receives 249 cm (98 in) of rainfall on average per year. Situated at an altitude between 100 and 120 m (330 and 390 ft), the topography gently slopes downward from southeast to northwest. The Bhogdoi River creates a waterlogged region dominated by semi-hydrophytic plants along the border of the sanctuary, helping to create three distinct habitat zones or micro-ecosystems in the park: the up-slope zone, the down-slope zone, and the flood-prone zone.

In addition to the Gibbons, the sanctuary has a very rich biodiversity and is home to the only nocturnal primate found in the northeast Indian states, the Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis). 

Other primates include the stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides), northern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca leonina), eastern Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis assamensis), rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), and capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus). Also found at the sanctuary are Indian elephants, tigers (Panthera tigris), leopards (Panthera pardus), jungle cats (Felis chaus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), three types of civet, four types of squirrel, and several other types of mammal. At least 219 species of bird and several types of snake are known to live in the park.

While the list of wildlife seems long, the chances of encounters with Tigers, Leopards or Elephants is not that frequent, while the smaller fauna, require extremely careful observation with time in hand. Unfortunately we seem to lack both - patience and time....For our safety though there is always an armed forest guard accompanying us through the trail.

Walking through the trails is interesting, though the chief distraction seem to be the Leeches😈😈. Do make sure to stay hydrated as the heat and humidity can sap your body fluids as well as your energy.   

The smart ones listened to the advise and tucked in the trouser ends into their shoes/ socks, while some of us were brave enough to walk in slippers, allowing the Leeches a free buffet of blood. 😳😳

In our walk in the park, we had the pleasure of catching up with a family of Gibbons, Capped Langurs, Macaques, Malayan Giant Squirrel, Irrawaddy squirrel or hoary-bellied Himalayan squirrel, while some of us managed a glimpse of a Pigtailed macaque.

For such a small area, the Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary is a precious jewel, which requires to be preserved. Not just preserved, but there has to be a concerted effort to link up the park to the nearest forests in Nagaland, the Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest. Unfortunately some Tea Estates stand in the way and hopefully the voices that matter in Governments across the states and the center find it in their wisdom to reacquire lands to create the contiguity, to ensure that the Gibbon gene pool does not shrink and we are faced with these precious apes facing an certain extinction in the near future. As such the park only hosts about 26 small packs(families) of Gibbons and this number desperately needs to increase.

Do remember that the park is located well out of the way and do not expect any kind of conveniences. It is a wild place and best left that way!! 

Do spread the word about the need to save the Gibbons...it may be a clarion call to save ourselves down the line!!

Thanks for coming!! God Bless!!

Kaziranga - A Tryst with the Unicorn

Tryst: A meeting is when people get together for any reason. But when they are sneaking to meet, notably as secret lovers, it's called a tryst.

The current Pandemic situation has put paid to many a livelihood, not to mention numerous plans to travel! When the family was getting completely restless, we tried doing local trips within the city. However access to the favourite location was cutoff due to a dispute between the Forest Department and the Municipal Body.

Come 2021, we were hoping for an improvement in the situation and they did. Trains and Planes started to operate and places were begining to open up to visitors. The inherent fear of the situation still created enough uncertainities that a couple of travel plans had to be dropped.

Finally a chance conversation with Kesava and Santhosh of Birdwing https://www.birdwing.in threw up the opportunity for a trip to the NorthEastern part of India, more specifically - Kaziranga.

TRIP TIP:With no clear information available on the Covid protocols across states, we decided to get ourselves tested at home and carry the test results with us during the travel. The test report proved to be a huge bonus, with us breezing through the exit process at Guwahati Airport, while those who did not have the report had to go through a series of sessions, including filling out a form, having themselves examined before they could go out of the Airport - A process that took upwards of 30 minutes in most cases.

With the cabs being pre-arranged, we settled in for the ride to Kaziranga. With a quick stop for lunch, we reached well in time to go on the afternoon Safari ride; our first of the trip. The cabs went away after dropping off the luggage at the resort, while we were inside the Park.

An Introduction to Kaziranga: The park is spread across three districts in the Indian state of Assam—the Kaliabor subdivision of Nagaon district, Bokajan sub division of Karbi Anglong and the Bokakhat subdivision of Golaghat district. The park is approximately 40 km (25 mi) in length from east to west, and 13 km (8 mi) in breadth from north to south. Kaziranga covers an area of 378 km2 (146 sq mi), with approximately 51.14 km2 (20 sq mi) lost to erosion. A total addition of 429 km2 (166 sq mi) along the present boundary of the park has been made and designated with separate national park status to provide extended habitat for increasing the population of wildlife or, as a corridor for safe movement of animals to Karbi Anglong Hills. Elevation ranges from 40 m (131 ft) to 80 m (262 ft). The park area is circumscribed by the Brahmaputra River, which forms the northern and eastern boundaries, and the Mora Diphlu, which forms the southern boundary. Other notable rivers within the park are the Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri.

Four main types of vegetation exist in this park; alluvial inundated grasslands, alluvial savanna woodlands, tropical moist mixed deciduous forests, and tropical semi-evergreen forests. Approximate coverage by vegetation is: tall grasses 41%, short grasses 11%, open jungle 29%, swamps 4%, rivers and water bodies 8%, and sand 6%.

There is a difference in altitude between the eastern and western areas of the park, with the western side being at a lower altitude. The western reaches of the park are dominated by grasslands. Tall elephant grass is found on higher ground, while short grasses cover the lower grounds surrounding the beels or flood-created ponds. Annual flooding, grazing by herbivores, and controlled burning maintain and fertilize the grasslands and reeds. Common tall grasses are sugarcanes, spear grass, elephant grass, and the common reed. Amidst the grasses, providing cover and shade are scattered trees—dominant species including kumbhi, Indian gooseberry, the cotton tree (in savanna woodlands), and elephant apple (in inundated grasslands).

Kaziranga contains significant breeding populations of 35 mammalian species. The park has the distinction of being home to the world's largest population of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros , wild Asiatic water buffalo and eastern swamp deer. Significant populations of large herbivores include indian elephants, gaur and sambar. Small herbivores include the Indian muntjac, wild boar, and hog deer. The One-Horned rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger, Asian elephant, wild water buffalo and swamp deer are collectively known as 'Big Five' of Kaziranga.

Safaris at Kaziranga do not have the element of mad rush (at least this trip had none!!) No racing across the park in search of a tiger! All the vehicles in the park were running at a sedate pace and this in itself was remarkable. So all you tiger fanatics, it would do you good to keep this in mind. 

In any case if you do get a tiger sighting, consider yourself extremely lucky!! With the grass still green this year, the usual practice of burning the undergrowth did not happen and as a result despite having close quarter alarm calls, we did not even get a glimpse of a predator.

Having said this, the Park is by no means a dull affair. Every turn, every corner seem to have some activity or the other, whether it is a Gray Headed Fishing Eagle on its kill or running into a Tusker at a Watch Tower or a Monitor Lizard crossing the road. Take a look at the pics and enjoy a glimpse of what we experienced over a 4 day period at a piece of heaven called Kaziranga National Park.

Like all vacations, this one did have its own downsides as well. This time it was the resort. Blame it on the Pandemic if you will, but the resort although old and quaint was poorly maintained. 

Absence of proper staff meant that food; although tasty, was a homely affair and rarely on time. However for the serious wildlifers, this should not be a hurdle at all. Afterall we only look for a safe and relatively clean place to rest while we ponder over the just completed trip and anticipate next one into the Park.

All in all, a wonderful time spent with some new and some old pals with hilarious anecdotes over cups  of the local brew.

When its time to return back to your routine, do remember to pack some of the local Chai patti (Tea Leaves). I did and I'm enjoying a cuppa while I write this blog. Signing off until the next time!! 

Ciao!! Stay safe and stay healthy!! Keeping a safe distance from fellow humans and wild critters will ensure that Safety element. Do remember to wear your mask even if you see no one else wearing it. It is for your own safety.

Thanks for your time!! God Bless!! 

Be back soon with the next episode!!