A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAKHAT: Panbari Reserved Forest in Bokakhat of the Golaghat district, which forms part of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, is known as the “Rainforest of Kaziranga.” The Panbari Wildlife Corridor is one of the nine corridors of the park. The disappearance of this corridor from the government’s Gazette notification has triggered strong reactions.
Environmental activist Apurba Ballav Goswami said that the park authorities have not made any information regarding the matter public.
It may be mentioned that Panbari, known as one of Assam’s richest bird-watching destinations, had remained closed to tourists since 2009. Located within the 1,302-square-kilometre Kaziranga National Park, the Panbari hill forest is home to more than 300 species of birds. After the bird-watching centre in the Panbari Reserved Forest on the southern boundary of Kaziranga National Park remained closed for years, the rich birding destination was reopened after 16 years.
The forest is a hilly landscape covered with tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen vegetation and is one of the highest-altitude bird-watching areas in the region. Notably, Dr Sonali Ghosh, who was the Director of Kaziranga at the time, opened an 8-kilometre safari route on February 2, 2025. Panbari was initially opened to tourists on a trial basis.
Subsequently, as part of the formal expansion of tourism, the Panbari Forest Range was officially opened on February 24 this year under a special tourism programme. Through an official event, Panbari was formally included in Kaziranga’s tourism circuit with the aim of maintaining a balance between conservation and tourism.
This forest, popularly known as the “Rainforest of Kaziranga,” is significant as an important ecological link or wildlife corridor connecting the floodplains of Kaziranga with the hills of Karbi Anglong. Species such as the Great Indian Hornbill, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Jerdon’s Baza, Black Baza and Pied Falconet, along with hoolock gibbons, capped langurs and more than 400 species of butterflies, are found here.
The main attraction and biodiversity of Panbari are distinct from Kaziranga’s flat grasslands. Panbari consists of tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen hill forests and is one of the highest bird-watching areas. Apart from birds, the forest is also home to Malayan giant squirrels, tigers, leopards and wild elephants.
During the monsoon, when the Brahmaputra floods Kaziranga, wildlife uses Panbari as an important ecological route or wildlife corridor to reach the hills of Karbi Anglong for safety. The Panbari Reserved Forest has therefore been playing an important role in wildlife conservation.
To protect the sensitive ecosystem, the park authorities have imposed strict regulations in the area. This year, the Kaziranga National Park authorities have restricted access, allowing a maximum of three vehicles and 12 tourists per day.
Safaris were permitted only from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Each group was required to be accompanied by two armed guards and one local nature guide. Tourists were prohibited from getting out of their vehicles except at designated bird-watching points. The entry point was at the Madarjuri Camp and the exit was near the Panbari Beat Office. According to the park authorities, newly constructed special birding hides would enable visitors to photograph and observe birds without disturbing them.
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