Rs 50 lakh earned from foreign tourists in 2011-12
Morigaon (Assam): Pabitora Wildife Sanctuary, famous for the highly endangered one-horned rhino, earned a record Rs 50 lakh from tourists during the current financial year.
Forest department officials said more than 1,000 foriegn tourists visited the sanctuary so far during the current financial year (2011-12).
The major chunck of overseas visitors were from the UK, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
Pabitora with an area of 36 sq km is situated in Morigaon district of central Assam and just 55 km from state capital Guwahati.
The state forest department conducted a rhino census in the sanctuary during the first half of this month in which 93 rhinos, including 25 calf, 25 male adults and 42 female adults were found.
Another significant aspect of the sanctuary is that more than 12,000 different birds take shelter in it. A team of Indian and international experts found more than 12,000 birds of different species during a survey carried out in February.
The forest department along with the local administration organised a Pobitora Festival of Christmas Day of 2011.
Apart from the one-horned rhino, the sanctuary, which boasts of having the highest density of rhinos area wise in the country, also houses pygmy hogs, wild buffaloes and various kinds of snakes. PTI
