Milroy or Pabha Sanctuary, Assam

Assam, one of the most picturesque states in India is located in the north-eastern side of the country. It is one of the Seven Sisters States that forms the North-East. Rightly known for its cultural heritage, Assam is also popular for the Assam tea, saris, petroleum resources and amazing tourist attractions. With the backdrop of the eastern Himalayas and mighty river like the Brahmaputra and Barak Valleys, this state has always attracted tourists from all over the country. Many wildlife sanctuaries fetch currency to the Assam state government. Among those, the Pabha Milroy sanctuary deserves special mention.

Assam's tourism with 6 national parks and 18 wildlife sanctuaries has made a leap progress in the recent past. Sanctuaries like the Pabha sanctuary, gibbon wildlife sanctuary, Burasapori Wildlife Sanctuary, Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, etc. and many other have contributed a lot in the development of Assam tourism.

The Pabha or Pabha Milroy sanctuary is located near the border of Arunachal Pradesh; it is marked for its picturesque setting and wildlife conservation. The enchanting backdrop of the sanctuary is sufficient to keep the tourists occupied in the sanctuary.

Area and location:

This park is located in the Lakhimpur District in Assam. Lakhimpur district lies in the north-east corner of the state. The sanctuary spreads over an area of 49 sq km.

Main attractions:

With the primary aim of protecting and conserving the Wild Water Buffalo, the Pabha Milroy Sanctuary was established. Hence the Wild Water Buffalo remains to be the main attraction here. Watching the rare species of Asiatic water buffalo roaming around the park is really fun and exciting.

The wild Asiatic water buffalo or Bubalus bubalis is an endangered species that can still be found in countries like India, Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand. These are large animals weighing up to 1200 kilos and they mainly eat herbs, leaves, grasses and aquatic plants.

If you are lucky enough, you might happen to see other rare species of birds and some lesser fauna.

Best time to visit:

The area of the Lakhimpur is marked by tropical rainforest. So this influences the climate of the park. You should visit the sanctuary during the months of November to April. That is the ideal time when you can watch Mother Nature in her highest glory.

Accommodation:

Don't worry about your accommodation in Lakhimpur. You can stay in any of the hotels such as- Hotel Malinin in the KB Road, Hotel Shyam, Hotel Anupam in the Super Mraket Complex, Hotel Joya in NT Road, etc. Take a rented car from this hotel that will take you to the sanctuary.

How to reach the park?

Lakhimpur district is well-connected with all the major cities in Assam. If you want to travel by air, then Guwahati airport would be the nearest. You can take taxis or local transport buses from any city in Assam to reach Guwahati International Airport or Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport that is connected with Kolkata, Agartala, New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Imphal, etc.

For adventurers preferring railway, Guwahati would be the nearest railhead. Lakhimpur district is well connected to all the key areas of Assam and key cities in the country.

What else do you get?

Although Lakhimpur District is quite far away from Guwahati (396 km), yet you can visit a lot of places if you happen to visit the Pabha Sanctuary. You can see the Shiva temple located near the national highway and Padumoni temple.

To sum up, it can be said that though there are not a wide variety of wild animals, birds and reptiles in the Pabha Milroy sanctuary, yet a visit to the sanctuary would definitely be fruitful. An endangered species like the wild water buffalo and other animals wouldn't bore you. So take your partner or family for an adventurous trip that can add spice to the otherwise monotonous life.