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The Hollongapar
Gibbon
Sanctuary,
formerly
known
as
the Gibbon
Wildlife
Sanctuary or Hollongapar
Reserved
Forest (Assamese: হোলোঙাপাৰ
গিবন
অভয়াৰণ্য),
is
an
isolated protected
area of evergreen
forest located
in Assam, India.
The
sanctuary
was
officially
constituted
and
renamed
in
1997.
Set
aside
initially
in
1881,
its
forests
used
to
extend
to
the
foothills
of
the Patkai mountain
range.
Since
then,
the
forest
has
been
fragmented
and
surrounded
by tea
gardens and
small
villages.
In
the
early
1900s, artificial
regeneration was
used
to
a
develop
well-stocked
forest,
resulting
in
the
site's
rich biodiversity.
The
Hollongapar
Gibbon
Sanctuary
contains
India's
only
gibbons
–
the hoolock
gibbons,
and
Northeastern
India's
only
nocturnal
primate
–
the Bengal
slow
loris.
The
upper canopy of
the
forest
is
dominated
by
the Hollong tree
(Dipterocarpus
macrocarpus),
while
the Nahar (Mesua
ferrea)
dominates
the
middle
canopy.
The
lower
canopy
consists
of
evergreen
shrubs
and
herbs.
The
habitat
is
threatened
by illegal
logging,
encroachment
of
human
settlements,
and habitat
fragmentation.
The
elephants'
range
of
this
small
sanctuary
extends
to
the Dissoi
Valley
Reserve
Forest, Dissoi
Reserve
Forest,
and Tiru
Hill
Reserve
Forest,
which
are
used
as
dispersal
areas
through
tea
gardens
(Elephas
maximus).
Three
extensive
tea
gardens
that
belong
to
the
estates
of
Dissoi,
Kothalguri,
and
Hollonguri
span
the
distance
between
the
Hollongapar
Gibbon
Sanctuary
and
the
nearest
forests
in
Assam-Nagaland
border,
the
Dissoi
Valley
Reserve
Forest.
The
tea
gardens
include
Katonibari,
Murmurai,
Chenijan,
Koliapani,
Meleng,
Kakojan,
Dihavelleoguri,
Dihingapar,
Kothalguri,
Dissoi
and
Hoolonguri.
Neighboring
villages
include
Madhupur,
Lakhipur,
Rampur,
Fesual
A
(the
western
part),
Fesual
B
(the
eastern
part),
Katonibari,
Pukhurai,
Velleoguri,
Afolamukh,
and
Kaliagaon
The
Hollongapar
Gibbon
Sanctuary
is
classified
as
"Assam
plains
alluvial
semi-evergreen
forests"
with
some
wet
evergreen
forest
patches.It
receives
249 cm
(98 in)
of
rainfall
on
average
per
year.
Situated
at
an
altitude
between
100
and
120 m
(330
and
390 ft),
the
topography
gently
slopes
downward
from
southeast
to
northwest.
The Bhogdoi
River creates
a
waterlogged
region
dominated
by semi-hydrophytic
plants along
the
border
of
the
sanctuary,
helping
to
create
three
distinct
habitat
zones
or
micro-ecosystems
in
the
park:
the
up-slope
zone,
the
down-slope
zone,
and
the
flood-prone
zone.