wildlife sanctuary in western Assam state, eastern India. It is situated at the foot of the Himalayas on the eastern bank of the Manas River, 92 miles (153 km) west of Guwahati. Established in 1928, it has an area of some 200 square miles (520 square km) and lies in a dense, mixed semievergreen, evergreen, and wet-deciduous forest region. The southern part of the preserve is grassland. Wildlife includes great Indian rhinoceroses, elephants, bison, deer, tigers, golden langurs, black bears, and wild pigs. A tiger reserve was established there in 1973. The sanctuary was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.