We are headed to (hopefully) see the endangered one horned rhino which is indigenous to Assam.
Once widespread, the one horned rhino, or Indian rhino (the largest of the rhino species) was found across the entire Northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The population plummeted as they were hunted for sport or killed as agricultural pests. But the main reason for their decline was (and remains today) slaughter by poachers for their horns, which are said to have traditional medicinal value in China. By the mid 1990s, rhinos were almost completely extinct. A sustained effort by wildlife authorities in India and Nepal is a major success story, as today the population of wild one horned rhinos has climbed back up to 3,000. Still, a fraction of the population of rhinos a few decades back, it is nonetheless a noteworthy achievement to reverse the course of extinction.
The drive from the guest house where we are staying in Guwahati, Assam to Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary is about 30 kms, through the countryside. The best part about the guesthouse, where the accomodations are rather rustic, is the owner/guide who has a passion for nature and wildlife and has a deep and broad understanding of history and politics in the North Eastern States of India. (Rohit at Hilltop Lodge near Don Bosco Institute, in Guwahati)
Away from the bustling city center of Guwahati, the dusty roads have the feel of a frontier town. Strolling around the neighborhood it is easy to forget we are in the 21st Century. It feels like being in a time warp of sorts.
Rickshaw drivers are lined up awaiting their daily customers. Rickshaws are the most common type of public transportation around these parts. In the late 19th century, hand pulled rickshaws became an inexpensive popular mode of transportation across Asia. Peasants who migrated to large Asian cities, often worked first as a rickshaw runner. In most of Asia, these are being replaced by tuk tuks (motorized rickshaws), but in Assam, the rickshaw still rules!
The air is dusty as Muslim women make their way to the market and street vendors prepare to sell their breakfast off their bikes.
Pani Puri is still our favorite Indian street food to be sure. Indians eat it either for breakfast or as a snack which is sold throughout the day. Each vendor has his own particular choice of spices which is added to the potato filled crackly shell. Usually the sauce is predominantly coriander and mint. A sublime blend of flavor and texture. At 10 cents a piece, these make delectable bites.
As we drive through the countryside, we cross rivers and rice fields. There has not been much rain in the region and the rivers are all said to be way lower than usual.
Our driver proudly stops the car to show us Siberian storks which have migrated for the winter and are nesting high up in the trees. Every year the warm weather and fresh water supply in Assam attracts migratory birds from colder regions of China and Russia.
A close up of the Siberian stork. Photo credit: Pranab Sharma (a wildlife photographer we meet later at the rhino park).
As we stop to gaze up into the huge nests in the trees, we get a glimpse of children enjoying the playground of their rural school.
When we get out of the car to see the storks nesting above, we hear joyous upbeat music nearby. We ask the driver to wait and we walk down a road to see where the music is coming from. Preparation for a countryside wedding is underway and as we peek in to the large colorful tent made from Saris sewn together, we get invited in to meet the family.
Take a listen to the music in the video below, so you can hear why we were drawn in….
The atmosphere inside the tent is one of building excitement. People are relaxing, listening to the music, eating food made by the bride’s family. We just wanted to peek in but Peta is firmly shown to a front row seat in amidst the festivities. Looks like we are staying a while…
We receive a more than friendly welcome to join in as though we are long lost exotic relatives. If we were not headed to the sanctuary we would have waited to experience the couples’ wedding which would take place a few hours later.
Connecting with 3 generations of women: A grandmother, granddaughter and mother to Peta’s right. With no common verbal language between us, we are still able to communicate effectively enough. The guests mostly seem to be wearing white, with family and relatives wearing magnificent brightly colored saris.
They live in the countryside of Assam, but nonetheless, these two 16 year old twins want everyone to know they are “cool”… A playful moment is shared between strangers. We were offered chai, buffalo curd, and samosas to eat and even though we had just had breakfast we felt compelled to at least try some of the eats.
As we get closer to the rhino sanctuary we see flocks of sheep, goats and a few buffalo roaming in front of a solitary house on stilts – very necessary for the monsoon season when this area floods. We always enjoy seeing animals, be they domesticated or wild, that are free to move around as they desire. As animal lovers, we are often both quick to take note of whether animals look happy or not happy. Definitely happy!
The “safarir” jeeps here do not have a roof cover and the Indian sun is strong an relentless. An hour or so until dusk, and then darkness descends early and quickly, (around 5.30 p.m.) in Assam.
After flat plains and dry earth, a large body of water attracts wild geese, migrant birds and a few wallowing water buffaloes.
There is only ONE other jeep we see during our time in the sanctuary, and in that jeep is a local wildlife photographer with a large professional camera. (Photo credit goes to Pranab Sharma.) For all the benefits of our ipad for interfacing with people, one really does need a good camera with a zoom to capture wildlife successfully.
Black Necked Stork searching for their fish dinner. (Photocredit: Pranab Sharma)
Stork in flight. It is incredible to see such a large bird flying. The black-necked stork is a 129–150 cm (51–59 in) tall having a 230-centimetre (91 in) wingspan.
At various points in the sanctuary there are lookout posts, which are elevated and afford a view across the river and the plains. We see quite a few rhinos scattered in various directions enjoying their late afternoon stroll and grazing, as they do, grasses, leaves, shrubs and fruit.
Standing up on the jeep affords us a great view of the forest we are riding through. Very little shrubbery on the ground, makes it easier to spot smaller animals.
Baby wild boars following their mother on the side of the road. For a French boy like Ben, well versed in the tales of Asterix and Obelix, it is impossible to see wild boar without thinking of Obelix.
A water buffalo sticking out his tongue. These water buffaloes have particularly large and magnificent horns.
We were extremely lucky to see numerous rhinos. Mostly they were solo and grazing. The first rhino we saw was fast asleep, probably because at that point it was still in the heat of the day. What we can say after many sightings is that the rhino is quite an extraordinary looking animal. I (Peta) have seen African rhino, as a child growing up going to South African game parks, and these Asian ones are way bigger. In fact, they are huge. Prehistoric looking creatures, as if covered in armor. This one had a long soak in the mud which is now drying in patches, and creating a patchy camouflage look of sorts. (Photocredit: Pranab Sharma)
The one horned Asian rhinocerus up close and personal. (Photocredit: Pranab Sharma)
Second in large size only to the Asian elephant. Adult rhino males are usually solitary, they are excellent swimmers and can run at speeds of 55 kmph. Do not be deceived by their heavy appearance, they are fast as hell.
As we leave the sanctuary, satisfied with our plentiful one horned rhino sightings (magnificent creatures!), we watch the sun quickly setting over recently planted rice fields. Ah, what a very good day.
The wildlife is what draws us to India again and again. We saw one-horned rhinos on one trip.
Peggy we are blessed with lots of wonderful wild life in Sri Lanka. Wild elephants in the game parks and monkeys in our backyard, but we never ever tire of seeing animals in their natural habitat. It is thrilling each and every time.
Peta & Ben
Geweldig dat jullie dit met ons hebben gedeeld! Mooi verslag!
Fijn dat wij in jullie mooie huis mochten verblijven Ben en Peta! Veel liefs van ons, Ciska Bekker en doe ook de lieve groeten aan Nilu.
And for those who do not speak Dutch :), a comment from Ciska who stayed at our home while we were in India as a homeexchanger:
“Great that you have shared this with us! Beautiful report!
Glad we were allowed to stay in your beautiful house Ben and Peta! Lots of love from us, Ciska Bekker and do the sweet greetings to Nilu.”
So glad you enjoyed your stay at our home in Sri Lanka and that you also enjoyed this post from our travels.
Peta
What a great post! I felt I had come along this wonderful journey with you. Thank you for sharing, Peta and Ben!
Deb
Deb, so glad you enjoyed our little adventure. Thanks for reading and letting us know you are still “traveling with us”.
Peta & Ben
The journey sounds just as amazing as the rhino sightings! And they are bigger than the African variety? Good Lord! Let’s hope their numbers keep increasing and that they live in peace!Thank you for sharing all of your adventures on the way to spending the day with such magnificent beasts!
All in all it was a really great day. Easy, visually pleasing, authentic and culturally rich. These rhinos are way bigger than African ones. It is hard to see how large they are in the photo, but if a person was to be able to stand nearby, then the comparison would be easier. Feels as though it was larger than our jeep. And strong!
Peta & Ben
amazing wildlife photos!
Thanks Tanja. The amazing ones are taken by a local wildlife photographer (photo credit acknowledged on the post) whom we were lucky to meet at the sanctuary. One day we might even get a good camera, given how much we enjoy watching wildlife.
Peta & Ben
What a fabulous day! It sounds as if you had as much fun getting to the rhinos as you did seeing them. They are such odd looking prehistoric creatures. How wonderful to be able to see them up close in the wild.
Alison
Alison, as they say, it is the journey, not the destination, and in this case, it was both that were rewarding and fun! When you see the rhino close up they are really so unusual looking and very fun to watch as they move with grace, given their very large and heavy size. An absolute treat to see them in the wild, so close by.
Peta & Ben
Looks like a grand day. How close did you get to the Rhinos?
Aaron, the closest rhino we saw was the one covered with mud in the photo. He was slowly grazing about fifty feet away from our jeep. Grand indeed!
Peta & Ben
I was captivated by this entire post, you two! Really, what an incredible day – from the yummy-looking pain puri to your delightful welcome to the wedding festivities to the incredible wildlife sightings. Although the photos by Pranab were impressive, you had quite a few beauties yourselves; I particularly loved the path through the forest and the very last one of the rice fields as the sun was setting.
Thanks Lex for your sweet comments. (So glad someone noticed the yummy looking street food as well as the rhino)
Besides the wildlife, the sanctuary itself, the small forests we drove through were all very beautiful and tranquil. Seeing wildlife is the cherry on the top, but even just being in these open protected spaces is something special.
Thanks for the compliments on the photography.
Peta & Ben
FABULOUSO POSTO! Love the wild life, (the wild piggies in particular) and you and Ben are included!
Peta, are you the only female that wears glasses in the whole of India? I don’t recall seeing any pictures of women with glasses . . . are eye doctors only for seriously injured or impaired?
Thank you Judith!! Aren’t those baby pigs cute? They grow up to be ferocious beasts. Thanks for including us in the wild life category, compliment indeed.
With regard to women in India not wearing glasses, that is a very good question and observation. After checking online to see if there is might be some genetic predisposition to better eyesight in general, we think this answer best captures your observation:
“There has been a known fact from the very long back Indian mythology where Krishna, Shiva will close their eyes and go see the visuals from anywhere in the world. As the time keeps moving and evils rise in the world, their power got diminished, but still it is better than the rest of the world. That is the reason you will find less people wearing glasses or lenses.”
Ben & Peta
A very good day indeed! Both because of the hospitable people and the wildlife sightings.
Anabel it was the perfect combination for a great day. Had we not been enroute to the sanctuary, we might well have stayed to experience the rural wedding.
Peta & Ben
What a wonderful excursion. Thank you for all the photos and the commentary.
I’m always impressed by how Peta ingratiates herself wherever she goes. People must sense her inner kindness to invite her into their homes.
The animals and birds are wonderful – let’s hope that people will hunt for them only with cameras.
Shari thanks for such a lovely compliment to me. I try to be friendly wherever we go and to initiate contact with locals when possible. In most countries we have visited, people are friendly and hospitable so that makes it easy.
There is still a poacher problem with rhinos but thankfully places like this sanctuary exist, where they can live in peace, without threat. At the larger sanctuary, which we did not visit, there is still a serious poaching problem, most likely because it is so much bigger and more difficult to regulate.
Peta
What more can you ask for in a day’s adventure in Assam:
Siberian storks, an ad hoc invitation to a colorful wedding and getting up close and personal with rhinos and baby boars.
Seriously.. you guys know how to live to the max! 😉
Amit, our sentiments exactly. Some days are just perfect!
Ben & Peta
I don’t even know where to start – you pack so much life into one post!
First, you made me smile because it is so YOU to find yourselves in the middle of a celebration 🙂. I love your innate curiosity coupled with a natural love of people. You are guaranteed to always find yourselves surrounded by people, whether or not you share a language 💕
From your comment “it is easy to forget we are in the 21st Century. It feels like being in a time warp” … that’s exactly how your photos felt. You manage to find and explore the most interesting and out-of-the-way corners of the world!
Pani puri – oh yes. I was introduced to this yummy last year. You made my mouth water!
… and the rhinos!! Seeing them in Africa was amazing, but I was surprised by your comment that they are so much bigger in India. They must have been a sight to see!
I liked the picture of the one with his mouth open – almost like he was giving you a raspberry 😆
This sounds like an amazing trip. Thanks for taking us along with you!
Joanne, thanks for your fabulous comments. So lovely to wake up to this feedback and enjoy starting our day reading you!
In India, so much happens in such a short time, that we have had to break it down into a few manageable sized posts rather than huge long ones.
We both love impromptu opportunistic opportunities to engage with locals… This is why we are not good at being on a tour or traveling with a group of people. It just would not happen. Our “plans” are always very flexible because we know to leave time for the unexpected. Curiosity consistently pays off for us!
By not prioritizing the touristic highlights but rather exploring more off the beaten track we seem to get better vignettes of authentic life.
Thanks Jo for starting our day with a smile!
Ben & Peta
What an amazing experience, full of serendipity, which is a word that comes to mind often when I read your posts. Now that you live on the island of Serendip I guess it follows you everywhere. Those are amazing photos, both yours and the pro work. You guys are awesome.
Sharon, we thought about you when we saw a gloriously colorful wild chicken in the sanctuary. It moved way too quickly for us to get a photo for you. But he was beautiful indeed with a long tail and jewel like colors in his plumage.
Serendipity ~ a lovely word and concept and hoping you are right that by living on the island of Serendip it follows us everywhere… 🙂
Thanks Sharon.
Ben & Peta
Once again Peta & Ben, you’ve managed to include me in the excitement of your adventure as I can readily imagine the feeling of stepping back in time where bicycles take the place of horses, strangers welcome you and include you in their celebrations and the exotic birds and wild animals allow you to see them in their own habitats. I can also imagine your giddy excitement and wonder at seeing the rhinos! I love the photos of the storks as we have white storks here in the Algarve region and I am always blown away by the sight of seeing them glide across the sky as well as the enormous size of their nests. Thanks for sharing all the wonderful experiences that made up your amazing adventure.
Thanks Anita for this detailed feedback on our stay in Assam.
Isn’t it funny how strangers welcoming you into their homes seems to fit in the category of “stepping back in time”? It is definitely rare in the Western world for a stranger or even more so, a foreigner, to be invited into someones home or to join a family celebration. One of the pleasures of being in Asia is the hospitality we have experienced almost everywhere.
The storks are such amazing birds due to their size. We saw them first years back in a bird park in India and then again have seen them here in Sri Lanka in the wildlife parks. Always a treat to see them.
Peta & Ben
Rhinos are probably my favorite animal. There is just something about them that I thoroughly adore! I follow Internation Rhino Foundation and keep up with the status of rhinos that way. I’m glad to see them making a comeback, albeit slow. So important to educate people on the truth about rhino horn–no different than our own fingernails!
Love the pics!!
Have never met anyone whose favorite animal is a rhino! But glad to hear that there is a foundation and that enthusiasts such as yourself will help to protect them.
The Assam rhino story is one of clear success at turning around a dire situation thankfully.
So sad how many animals are hunted down for their tusks, horns, or whatever else people want to make money from, or medicine or whatever…
Thanks for reading our post and commenting.
Peta & Ben
What a magnificent day! I am sitting in the San Francisco airport waiting for my plane after missing one the day before because of a huge East Coast storm. But I am totally entertained reading your travelogue here and seeing the incredible photos. What an experience. In these photos-all beings-human and creature – look so happy!
Pamela glad we could entertain you during your airport delay 🙂 and that you enjoyed the photos and our visit to the rhino sanctuary. Happy creatures we are.
Ben & Peta
This post has such a special collection of photos. The photos tell the story so well I don’t even need to read the words.
I especially love the photo of Peta with the 3 generations of women, the photo of the rhino that is just amazing and the peaceful sunset at the end… the end of the story.
Beautiful captures, well-done.
Thanks Patti. It’s good when the visuals tell the story sufficiently. When you think of what a Sri Lankan family has had to endure from the grandmothers point of view (British rule), from the mother’s point of view (30 years of civil war) and now from the young girl’s perspective, facing the prospect of Sri Lanka playing catch up with Singapore and Dubai as modern, knowledge intensive economies… the photo does capture Sri Lanka through the generations.
Peta & Ben
Such a delight to join you both in your journey to see the one-horned rhino.
I loved passing through the market and got a real kick out of the stop to see the bridal celebration. I chuckled when I spotted you, Peta, in the chair. Such a warm and spirited gathering this was, and the music, so festive. Then the rhinos. I know how rare they are, and whoa, how lucky you were to have such great views and to befriend this wildlife photographer who generously shared his photos. What a beautiful beast this rhino is, and heartening to hear the population is slowly increasing.
Excellent post, as always.
Thanks Jet, so glad you enjoyed this post. Our guide said we brought good luck as we saw way more rhinos on our outing than he has before! Thankful to have good quality photographs to share on our blog, for sure. And so grateful for sanctuaries which protect wildlife from poachers and other hazards.
Nice to know that the video was appreciated.. You can hear why this music lured us to discover where it was coming from. It was so fun to be included in the pre wedding festivities.
Peta & Ben
A good day, indeed! And, how fortunate to 1) meet a wildlife photographer, and 2) who is willing to share his images. Such great shots and awesome memories to keep.
I keep being amazed at your spontaneity and flexibility! That little party you stumbled upon after hearing the enticing, Indian music… I’m thinking about what I would do. My curiosity would draw me in for a quick look (probably with the same outcome as yours, which would have me antsy to leave, yet not wanting to be rude, in order to continue the trip I set out to do). Or, I would have prioritized the safari and not go over to the tent, wondering whether I missed out! 🙂
What an amazing excursion, you guys! Your blogs are making me want to travel in Asia again! Back in the day, in other parts of India rickshaws were still popular as well. Not sure about these last two decades, though. I guess I’ll have to find out.
Liesbet, thanks for these terrific comments. Every time we make the effort and the time to stop and follow our instinct to be spontaneous we are richly rewarded. In this case, we were actually invited to join in the meal, stay for the ceremony but we declined on that and stayed just long enough to hopefully not to be seen as rude. We were tempted to return after the safari, to see the actual ceremony, but we had already had a wonderfully full day.
In Delhi for sure, the backstreets are still packed with rickshaws. Sounds like you are due for a trip to Asia!
Peta & Ben
What a wonderful trip! I can’t believe you saw rhinos, although even if you didn’t, I think the trip would have been well worth it for all the other sights and experiences. How cool that you were invited to be a part of the celebration, and to see all that wildlife…You two make travel sound so amazing!
Thanks Ann for your lovely comments. Anytime we see wildlife in their natural habitat we are both absolutely thrilled. In Sri Lanka we have elephants so it was great to see a rather unusual (for us) creature this time around. But for sure just being in open space with fresh air and birds and trees is a treat in and of itself.
Mind you, our own garden continues to supply wildlife “entertainment”. In the last few days, a new crop of monkeys have been frequenting the trees, joyously jumping from branch to branch. These guys seem different to the gray langur which normally comes around. In our outdoor bathroom we have a resident green forest lizard and most recently a salamander was in our toilet bowl. Oh joy!!
Peta & Ben
Beautiful photos from Pranab Sharma. What a treat for both of you to catch glimpses of some of India’s precious wildlife and make connections with the locals of Assam. Pani Puri is addictively delicious and you have me craving some right now.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the wildlife photography. The wild ducks were quite incredible to watch as they floated and then lifted up into the air en masse, with their salmon pink colored undersides.
Now that we are back in Sri Lanka, we are both craving some Pani Puri ~ the best street food ever. Although, we are also big fans of the paper dhosa in Southern India.
Ben & Peta
Ah, yes, the crepe-like beauties they serve with spicy chutney. Yes, also delicious, though I can’t pop those one after another into my mouth as easily. 😬
It requires definite talent to do the mani puri mouth popping haha. They are definitely spicy, although each time we have had them the taste varies completely depending on the vendor. One of those things (like your dumpling story in Shanghai) where each vendor does a different interpretation of a classic street food. Who is to know what constitutes the standard? All we know, is it’s crunchy, full of sweet and spicy flavor at the same time, and if you are lucky, a dollop of buffalo curd on the top.
Peta & Ben
Those baby wild boars are adorable. Glad you got to see some rhinos. I have always thought they looked prehistoric as well. (not that I have seen them in the wild) Sounds like an amazing trip.
Darlene, the only other time we have seen baby wild boars was in Central Viet Nam. A memorable sighting, as a mom boar crossed the road in front of us on our motorbikes, with her little ones following behind, just like ducks. As is often the case, the adult wild boars are nothing much to look at, while the babies, are super cute.
Peta & Ben
Thank you for inviting us along on your travels! Isn’t it wonderful how open and welcoming people are when we shine the same light their way.
Those wild baby boars are so cute. I think I may have been tempted to pet one… but I have a feeling its mother wouldn’t have appreciated that :0 I didn’t realize that rhinos were so fast… did you get to see any running?
Janis, we did not see any rhinos running. We saw one sleeping and the rest were all grazing in various locations. It is amazing that they can move so fast, given how large and incredibly heavy they are! Thanks for your comments…
Peta
I couldn’t help but tap my foot to the sound of the music. So much energy and joy from the scene. How wonderful that you were so warmly welcomed. We find no matter where we travel the common thread is human kindness. Such a gift.
The photos of the wildlife are extraordinary. How wonderful to have a photographer capturing the action. Such good news that the population is increasing with the efforts of so many.
Sue perhaps the greatest benefit of travel is the realization that people naturally tend toward hospitality and kindness. Peta is a great believer that a smile can open doors almost anywhere and it does seem to work!
We were very lucky indeed to have a wildlife photographer in a jeep next to us when we stopped at one of the outlook locations. Noticing his impressive professional camera we asked if he would be so kind as to share his crop of photos, given our little ipad could not hope to capture wildlife in any kind of satisfactory manner 🙂 Grateful for his generosity in sharing his images with us and therefore all of you.
Ben
I’d say that was a very successful safari. Rhinos seem to emanate such quiet dignity and also melancholy. What luck to have stumbled upon that wedding.
The safari was very memorable especially as it is a rare case of hearing about a successful turnaround for a species that is on the path of extinction. Saving wildlife globally takes determined effort to create safe havens where poachers cannot get access and are prosecuted for their crimes.
Peta & Ben
Wonderful post, how exciting to be invited to the wedding. Love the colourful photos. The rhino was an extra special treat.
Thanks Maggie for reading us and for your kind comments. A good mix of a day ~ wildlife, cultural discovery and good street food.
Peta
What a wonderful post Peta! The sanctuary sounds absolutely terrific. Such beauty in India.
Thanks LuAnn, it was terrific! There were other larger game parks but we were happy to go to this smaller one which was fairly close to where we were staying and has a distinction of featuring the rhino.
Peta
—–OOO, my heart is leaping & summersaulting.
The rhino is FABULOUS, gorgeous, amazing, majestic, & utterly out-of-this-world beautiful.
Thank you for taking us w/ you on your amazing adventures.
PS. Peta, you are stunning!
Btw, have I told you I despise poachers?
Kim how nice to get such an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the rhino!!
And thank you for the kind compliment 🙂
Poachers ~ the worst sinners. There is a special place in hell for poachers.
Peta & Ben
Awesome post.
Thanks Sartenada. Our post is timely as the world focuses attention on rhinos right now with the last white rhino dying. This park in Assam has done a wonderful job of protecting the one horned rhino and reversing the course of extinction. What a treat it was for us to see this majestic animal in it’s habitat.
Peta & Ben