Royal Manas National Park: Bhutan's southern park beside India's Manas

Background

Royal Manas National Park spans 1057 km2 in the south-central foothills of Bhutan, in the dzongkhags of Zhemgang, Sarpang and Pemagatshel.
It began as a game sanctuary and was notified as Manas Wildlife Sanctuary in 1964.
In 1993 it was upgraded to Royal Manas National Park through the merger of Namgyel Wangchuck Reserve and Manas Wildlife Sanctuary.
It abuts the Indian Manas National Park in the south, forming part of the Transboundary Manas Conservation Area (TraMCA), and can be accessed from Bhutan and the Indian state of Assam.
UNESCO lists Royal Manas National Park and Jigme Dorji National Park on Bhutan's Tentative List (2012); Bhutan ratified the World Heritage Convention on 22 October 2001.