The Keibul Lamjao in Manipur, India, is the only floating wildlife sanctuary in the world. The national park is characterised by phumdis, which are circular, floating masses of vegetation, soil and decomposing organic debris. The Keibul Lamjao is the largest phumdi, measuring 40 sq km, on Loktak Lake Lush green on top, most of the phumdi mass lies below the lake surface, allowing the roots to reach the lake bed and absorb nutrients during the dry season.
The most beloved animal of the region is the endangered Sangai or the brow-antlered deer. In fact, the entire Loktak Lake was declared a sanctuary in 1966 in order to save the deer which was threatened by extinction. This particular species of deer is fondly also called Manipur’s dancing deer because of its delicate gait as it makes its way along the floating wetlands.
The habitat is composed of floating meadows and a raised strip of hard ground that separates the park into northern and southern zones.
The construction of the Ithai Dam in the 1980s — built to provide power for India’s northeast states — has threatened the life of the islands. The dam south of Loktak Lake has caused water levels to remain high year-round, preventing the phumdis from sinking and reaching the lakebed for nutrients. As a result, the phumdis are slowly thinning and breaking apart.
Credit : Earth Observatory
Picture Credit : Google
