🦌 Most Important Things in Keibul Lamjao National Park

Keibul Lamjao National Park is the world’s only floating national park, located on the southern edge of Loktak Lake in Manipur.
Its landscape, wildlife, and ecosystem are unlike anywhere else in the world.
Here are the most important features that define this extraordinary place.

🥇 1. The Sangai Deer — The Heart of the Park

The Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii) is the most important species in the park and the primary reason this area is protected.

• Endemic to Manipur
• Known as the Dancing Deer
• Walks gracefully on floating phumdis
• Critically endangered
• Considered a cultural symbol of the Meitei people

Without the Sangai, Keibul Lamjao would lose its identity.

🥈 2. The Floating Phumdis — The Foundation of Life

Phumdis are thick, floating mats made of vegetation, roots, soil, and organic matter.

• Act as “floating land”
• Move up and down with water levels
• Provide habitat for animals
• Essential for Sangai movement
• Unique to Loktak Lake

The survival of the park depends on the health of these phumdis.

🥉 3. Loktak Lake Ecosystem — The Life Source

The entire park floats on the waters of Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Manipur.

• Provides water, food, and habitat
• Creates perfect wetland conditions
• Supports fish, birds, plants, and mammals
• Deeply linked to local culture

Loktak and Keibul Lamjao are inseparable ecological partners.

🐦 4. Rich Birdlife (Migratory & Wetland Birds)

The park supports a wide variety of bird species:

• Herons
• Kingfishers
• Teals
• Coots
• Egrets
• Marsh birds
• Migratory ducks

The arrival of winter birds adds life and color to the lake.

🌿 5. Wetland Plants and Unique Vegetation

Keibul Lamjao hosts aquatic and marsh plants that grow only in floating environments:

• Phumdi grasses
• Water lilies
• Floating meadows
• Wetland reeds
• Aquatic herbs

These plants help bind and strengthen the phumdis.

🐾 6. Other Wildlife Species

Beyond the Sangai, the park is home to:

• Otters
• Hog deer
• Civet cats
• Wild boar
• Jungle cats
• Snakes
• Freshwater turtles
• Dozens of fish species

The biodiversity makes Keibul Lamjao a complete wetland ecosystem.

🚣 7. Human Connection (Around the Park)

While the protected zone limits human entry, the surrounding Loktak region is full of cultural and traditional life:

• Fishermen’s phumshang (floating huts)
• Bamboo fishing traps
• Local wetland practices

These communities depend on Loktak and help preserve its heritage.

⭐ Summary: The “Most” of Keibul Lamjao

Keibul Lamjao is not just a national park —
It is a floating world, a delicate balance of water, life, culture, and conservation.