The Riverine Island Biosphere: Formed by Great Earthquakes
Sprawling across 340 square kilometers at the easternmost tip of the Upper Assam valley, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is one of the most geographically unique and ecologically dynamic protected areas in Asia. Bounded by the Brahmaputra River to the north, the Lohit River to the northeast, and the Dibru River to the south, the park represents a massive riverine island and biosphere reserve. Its contemporary landform was radically shaped by two catastrophic seismic events: the Great 1897 Assam Earthquake and the colossal 1950 Assam-Tibet Earthquake, which altered the course of regional riverbeds, causing subsidence that permanently submerged vast forest tracts and created permanent wetland channels.
The terrain is a mosaic of semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, swamp forests, and expansive wet alluvial grasslands known locally as chaporis. During the summer monsoon, over 80 percent of the park's landmass is inundated by floodwaters, creating an interconnected maze of lagoons, oxbow lakes, and river channels.
Designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1997 and elevated to a national park in 1999, Dibru-Saikhowa is recognized globally as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and a biodiversity hotspot that provides refuge to numerous endangered species threatened by habitat loss elsewhere in the Brahmaputra valley.
The Mysterious Feral Horses of Dibru-Saikhowa
Dibru-Saikhowa is the only national park in India home to free-roaming wild feral horses. Believed to be descendants of military cavalry horses abandoned by British and American Allied troops during World War II (when eastern Assam served as the base for the Ledo Road and 'The Hump' airlift to China), these horses have reverted to completely wild states, grazing in magnificent herds along the sandy river islands (chaporis).
The World War II Feral Horses: Living Historical Legends
Among the most celebrated and romantic wildlife attractions of Dibru-Saikhowa is its population of wild feral horses. Numbering approximately 80 to 100 individuals, these equines represent the third and fourth generation descendants of domestic war horses left behind during the tumultuous years of World War II. During the Allied Burma Campaign, eastern Assam was a massive military supply base supporting the famous Ledo Road (Stillwell Road) and the dangerous airlift over the Himalayas to Kunming, China. When Allied units demobilized in 1945, dozens of cavalry and supply horses escaped into the dense, uninhabited riverine islands of the Brahmaputra.
Over decades of natural selection in an unforgiving riverine environment populated by tigers and leopards, these horses underwent a complete feralization process. They developed muscular frames, thick winter coats, and heightened herd vigilance. Today, they roam freely in social bands across the sandy grasslands of Churkey Chapori, led by dominant stallions who fiercely defend their mares.
Witnessing a herd of these wild horses galloping with windblown manes across golden riverbank sands, framed by the misty waters of the Brahmaputra and the distant snow-capped mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, is one of the most poetic wildlife spectacles in the world.
Gangetic River Dolphins & The Maguri-Motapung Wetland
Because Dibru-Saikhowa is an island without internal road networks, wildlife exploration is conducted exclusively via motorized boat safaris departing from the river port of Guijan Ghat. Cruising along the tranquil waters of the Dibru River and its confluence with the Brahmaputra offers exceptional opportunities for spotting the endangered Gangetic River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica), known locally as 'Xihu'.
These unique freshwater dolphins—one of only four surviving river dolphin species on earth—are functionally blind, navigating and hunting for fish in the murky river currents using sophisticated echolocation. In the deep eddy pools near Kolomi and Dhadia, dolphins surface frequently to breathe, their curved dorsal fins and long snouts emerging with gentle exhalations that captivate onlookers.
Adjoining the southern boundary of the park is the renowned Maguri-Motapung Beel, an immense freshwater wetland lake that serves as an international birding hotspot. Navigating this shallow lake in non-motorized wooden country boats (dinghis) allows visitors to approach within whispering distance of rare wetland birds feeding among blooming water lilies and floating grass mats.
Boat Safaris Only & River Navigation Safety
Because Dibru-Saikhowa is an island surrounded by the Brahmaputra, Lohit, and Dibru rivers, there are no motorable roads inside the park. All exploration is conducted via licensed motorized boats from Guijan Ghat. Visitors must wear lifejackets at all times, avoid standing on gunwales, and adhere strictly to forest boat curfew timings (no boats permitted after sunset).
Avian Paradise & The White-Winged Wood Duck
Dibru-Saikhowa is an ornithological treasure house supporting over 380 species of resident and migratory birds. The park is one of the premier sanctuaries for the endangered White-winged Wood Duck (Asarcornis scutulata), the official state bird of Assam. These elusive birds inhabit secluded swamp forest pools surrounded by tall hollow trees, emerging at dawn and dusk with eerie, trumpet-like flight calls.
The park's grasslands and reed beds harbor significant populations of rare and threatened avian specialties, including the Jerdon's Babbler, Marsh Babbler, Black-breasted Parrotbill, Swamp Francolin, and the elusive Bengal Florican. Winter brings immense flocks of migratory waterfowl, including bar-headed geese, falcated ducks, Baer's pochards, and ferruginous pochards, alongside majestic raptors like the Pallas's Fish Eagle and White-tailed Eagle.
Mammalian fauna includes healthy populations of wild Asian elephants, Asiatic wild water buffaloes, capped langurs, slow lorises, and Royal Bengal Tigers that navigate the island channels by swimming between chaporis.
Travel Logistics, Guijan Ghat & Eco-Houseboats
The primary gateway to Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is Guijan Ghat, situated approximately 13 kilometers north of Tinsukia town. Tinsukia is a major railway junction on the Northeast Frontier Railway, offering direct express train connections to Guwahati, Kolkata, and New Delhi. Dibrugarh Airport (Mohanbari) is located just 45 kilometers to the west, with daily commercial flights connecting to major Indian cities.
Accommodations at Guijan include charming eco-resorts, bamboo cottage camps, and unique floating houseboats anchored along the quiet waters of the Dibru River, such as the famous Banashree Eco Camp and Om River Resort. These camps offer ethnic Assamese and Mishing tribal cuisine, guided boat expeditions, birding walks, and local cultural performances.
Visitors should plan for at least two days: spend one day on a boat cruise exploring the core river channels of the national park to spot feral horses and dolphins, and dedicate a second morning to quiet country-boat birding in the Maguri-Motapung wetland. Combining Dibru-Saikhowa with the historic oil town of Digboi (40 km south) creates an extraordinary wildlife-and-industrial heritage journey in Upper Assam.
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