How did the forest make it possible in sand !
At first several red ants were taken to this sand bar to solve the problem of low fertile soil. Over time, red ants have changed the quality of the soil. This helped a lot in improving the condition of the sand bar. Later, over a period of time, the once-empty landscape developed into a dense forest.
At present, the Molai forest area is spread over an attractive 550 hectares. It is not only the world’s first man-made forest in sand bars, but perhaps the largest forest on the banks of the river.
The diverse ecosystem of this unique forest is home to various wildlife species including bengal tigers, Indian rhinoceros, Asian elephants, deer, vultures and countless bird species.
The Molai forest provides an important habitat for the endangered species. It has largely become a shelter and breeding ground for such animals and birds. Large herds of wild elephants have been frequenting this forest in recent years.
At least 10 tiger cubs have been reported to have been born in the forest. According to a report, there are at least five Royal Bengal Tigers living here. A decade ago, a tigress was reported to have given birth to two cubs. Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee honoured Yadav Payeng with the Padma Shri on April 08, 2015.