Borajan-Padumoni wildlife sanctuary. Telegraph picture

Dibrugarh, May 17: A wildlife sanctuary in Tinsukia blessed with more than 80 species of birds has woken up to the fact that a birding trail could take the forest’s tourism potential several notches higher.

A 1.7-km nature trail is set to become the newest attraction in the Padumoni segment of the 7.2 square km Bherjan-Borajan-Padumoni wildlife sanctuary.

“The main objective of the project is to give a fillip to eco-tourism in the area. The sanctuary is home to 80 species of birds and this diversity needs to be highlighted through initiatives like nature trails,” Vaibhav Mathur, the divisional forest officer of Tinsukia wildlife division, said.

“Our aim is that even if people are unable to sight birds, they will at least learn about different groups of birds after walking the trail,” he added.

The sanctuary is under the jurisdiction the Tinsukia wildlife division, along with the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. “There is stress on commonly sighted birds so that the average eco-tourist has the chance of spotting some of them. It was the deliberate decision on our part not to depict cryptic species as that reduces a visitor’s satisfaction, as sighting frequency decreases,” the forest official said.

Woodpecker, barbet, bulbul, oriole, starling, shrike, kingfisher, drongo, nuthatch and sunbird are some of the frequently sighted species.

Scientific jargon will be kept to a minimal and information has been provided in the form of trivia to capture the imagination, especially that of the young.

An eco-tourism expert from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, has helped explain the signs to look out for while on the birding trail.

“The holistic and long-term objective is to dovetail eco-tourism with tea tourism as the Padumoni segment is surrounded by tea gardens. We are in consultation with Vivek Aggarwal, owner of Padumoni tea estate near the sanctuary to create a tea trail at their factory and garden so that tourists, especially those coming from outside the state, can get a glimpse of the tea industry in Assam and enjoy its natural heritage at the same time.

“We are hopeful that apart from disseminating information about birds, the trail will generate interest in the cause of conservation of the last remaining forest patches of Assam,” Mathur said.

The authorities of Padumoni tea estate, too, have shown interest in the initiative.

“It is really an exciting idea. We are looking forward to it,” Aggarwal said.