Sangai, The Dancing Deer

The Sangai or Manipur brown-antlered deer (Cervus eldi eldi) a delicately beautiful animal found only in the hilly North East Indian State of Manipur, has already one let off. The name "sangai" is a local Meitei dialect. This particular sub-species of the Thiamin deer is also fondly called Manipur's dancing deer because of its delicate gait as it negotiates its way along the floating wetlands. Sangai is also known as Eld's deer as it was first described by Lt. Percy Eld in 1838, the name Cervus eldi eldi was given in honour of Lt. Eld in 1842. Sangai is one of the three subspecies found in South East Asia, the other two being found in upper and lower Burma & in parts of Thailand, Kampuchea and Vietnam. In 1951, the local administration reported that Sangai was extinct. Happily a half dozen were found 2 years later living on a vast island of floating biomass on Loktak Lake, the 2nd biggest lake in India, to the South East of Manipur's State Capital, Imphal. Subsequent efforts to preserve the Sangai, a sub-species of Eld's deer, have been pretty successful. The floating island and the surrounding lake side were protected and declared a National Park in 1977, since then there has been negligible poaching.

Keibul Lamjao - The unique habitat of Sangai: The star attraction of this place is of course Sangai. Keibul Lamjao is famous not just because of brow antlered deer but it has added its value to fame; its other claim to fame is the fact that this is one of the very few floating protected areas in the world. Spreading an area of 40 sq/km Keibul Lamjao National park was established in the year 1966 as a sanctuary & in the year 1977 as a National Park. Loktak Lake (6,475 HA) the largest fresh water lake in India, a large portion of which falls within the park.