Keibul Lamjao National Park

Keibul Lamjao covers around forty square kilometres of Loktak Lake and is the only national park in the world made of floating ground: the phumdi, mats of vegetation and organic matter, are thick enough to carry animals, and they support the last wild population of the sangai, a brow-antlered deer endemic to Manipur that was declared extinct in 1951 and then rediscovered here in 1953 with a handful of animals. The population has recovered into the low hundreds but remains confined to this one habitat. The deer has a distinctive gait adapted to the yielding surface, and the state animal of Manipur is named for it.

Background

The park lies in the Bishnupur district of Manipur and covers 40 km2 as an integral part of Loktak Lake. It began in 1966 as a wildlife sanctuary for the endangered Eld's deer, the state animal of Manipur, and was gazetted as a national park on 28 March 1977. It is on UNESCO's tentative list as the Keibul Lamjao Conservation Area, which would also take in a buffer of Loktak Lake of 140 sq km and Pumlen Pat of 43 sq km.

Source: Wikipedia, "Keibul Lamjao National Park"

Highlights

• The floating ground - phumdi thick enough to carry deer and people.
• The sangai - the endemic brow-antlered deer found nowhere else wild.
• The watchtowers - observation points over the phumdi.
• The boat approach - access across the lake channels.

When to go

October to March; the sangai are most visible in the drier months. Boats depend on water levels. Early morning gives the best sightings from the towers.

Before you go

Sangai sightings are not guaranteed and the deer are wary. The phumdi has thinned because of the barrage, which threatens the habitat directly.

Nearby

Loktak Lake surrounds it; Imphal is northeast.

Key facts