From War to Wandering: The Legends of Dibru-Saikhowa of Assam

“Legend has it that these equines were the most robust and fearless cavalry horses during the World War II period. Known as Feral horses, they were left back by the war-weary British troops, way back in the 1940s when Assam was a major frontier of war that spread throughout South Asia.”

According to history, the British troops, in order to safeguard their position in the war on the eastern front and fight back the Japanese army, had set up army bases in and around Tinsukia, where they also established stables for the British cavalry. The feral horses are the descendants of these legendary war horses who served the British troops valiantly during the war.

Renowned environmentalist who runs the Banashree Eco Camp and Secretary of Dibru-Saikhowa Conservation Society Joynal Abedin said, “Most people have a misconception that these are wild horses, but it is completely a wrong notion. They are known as feral horses, which are basically free-roaming horses of domesticated ancestry. They share the lineage of British warhorses that were left when the troops moved out of Assam. Now their descendants roam freely in the wilderness of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.”

The valor and majestic appearance of these legendary warhorses are a part of the folklore that surrounds the area, and this is the major reason that tourists throng to Dibru-Saikhowa National Park to get a glimpse of the equines galloping in the wild grasslands.

“During the 1950s there was a high-magnitude earthquake resulting in the river changing its course, following which the horses got cut off from the mainland. At that time, it was the Dibru-Saikhowa territorial forest, and they were cornered within the remote parts of the area. These feral horses are the third and fourth generations of the cavalry warhorses that the British officers abandoned when World War II was over,” informed Abedin.

But unfortunately, the feral horses with such a rich legacy that attracts tourists from all over the world to the remotest corner of Assam have failed to grab the attention of the government.

“Since these horses are not scheduled under the wildlife protection policies, the forest department or the government itself has made no special provisions to protect them. With changing climate and ecosystem, coupled with constant floods, these horses are nowadays a rare view for the tourists. There is no proper census or data that can tell exactly how many of them exist within the National Park so that environmentalists could at least have proper knowledge of what the status of these horses is or whether they are facing any threat or danger,” laments the renowned environmentalist.

Retired forest official Ashoke Kumar Roy informed, “There has never been a hue and cry for the feral horses, as their numbers never came down drastically. At times of floods and natural calamities, a certain number of these equine animals died, but never at an alarming rate.”

“But yes, I believe that there must definitely be some steps taken by the government as preventive measures due to certain hazardous climatic conditions that have lately started affecting many of such unprotected animals. These are beautiful and majestic animals and should be treated as a major asset of the wildlife in Assam, or else a day might come that there will be only legends of the feral horses and not the animal,” added Roy.

Horses are not just animals…they are a way of life! I deeply believe this as an equine enthusiast and a Polo Player… It is time that we step up to the hooves and start saving these legends of war.

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