 |
|
|
|
New Page 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Namdapha Tiger Reserve
|
|
|
|
To get an insight of the rich
wilderness of eastern India, visit Namdapha National Park,
tucked away in the northern most state of Arunachal
Pradesh. The inaccessibility of the greater part has
helped to keep the forests in their pristine state. The
dark evergreen forests of Namdapha are a maze of enormous
trees, lavish epiphytes and ferns, and serpent-like
creepers. A land of rich biodiversity, it rings with the
cry of the Hoolock, the only ape in India, and the clamour
of countless birds.
The altitudinal range of the reserve is immense, from a
low of 200 m to the 4,598 m Dapha Bum peak in the north.
It embraces a prodigious mix of habitats - moist bamboo
forests, dense, wet evergreen jungles, moist temperate and
alpine scrublands. More than 90 per cent of the 1,985 sq
kin tiger reserve has been retained as a core zone.
Much of Namdapha remains wild and unspoiled. Only one road
passes through the reserve's southern half and then
through the buffer area, in the western-central part, to
connect Miao to the nearby Myanmar border. This road,
often flows close to the Noa-Dehing River.
Lying in the Noa-Dehing catchment area that opens westward
into the Upper Brahmaputra Valley, Namdapha is mostly
snow-free. A national park had been suggested in the
1940s, the area then a part of the North East Frontier
Agency (NEFA), but the reserve came into being only under
the Assam Forest Regulation of 1970. It was later accorded
the status of a wildlife sanctuary, and upgraded to a
national park in 1983, when it was also included in
Project Tiger.
Namdapha is unusual in that it hosts four species of large
cats Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Leopard and Snow Leopard.
There is a wealth of other mammals (at least 70 species),
which includes several of the lesser cats, plenty of
squirrels and primates such as the Hoolock or White-browed
Gibbon.
As for birds, this is one of the richest areas in India,
with over 400 species of mostly woodland varieties. Forest
trails offer good sightings. The several natural lakes (or
bils) and smaller pools attract winter migratory birds as
well as resident water-birds, a category that includes the
endangered White-winged Duck. Little is known of the
thousands of other lifeforms that inhabit this tropical
paradise. In view of its unique importance, Namdapha
deserves special attention before the juggernaut of
development takes over one of India's last wild frontiers.
Fauna:
The Mammals found are Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Snow Leopard
(Ounce), Leopard-cat, Wild Dog (Dhole), Red Panda (above),
Large Indian Civet, Himalayan Palm Civet, Gaur (Indian
Bison), Goral, Musk Deer, Slow Loris, Serow, Hoolock
Gibbon, Assamese Macaque, Capped Langur, Himalayan Weasel,
Hog Badger and Sambar.
Some of India's most elusive wildlife, the thick-set
goat-antelope called the Mishmi Takin, the Binturong or
Bear-cat, the Red Panda, known also as the Cat-bear, the
Golden Cat and the Marbled Cat, all live in this reserve.
The sanctuary is home to many species of birds like Lesser
Fish Eagle, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Rufous-bellied Eagle,
Pied Falconet, Oriental Hobby, Crested Serpent Eagle and
Crested Goshawk.
Best time to visit:
Oct to Feb are the best months. It is during rains that
one gets to see butterflies, reptiles and amphibians.
Safari timings:
Sunrise to sunset.
Go there for:
Hoolock gibbon, endemic plants, snakes, gorgeous
butterflies and colorful birds.
How to Reach:
by road :
Taxi is the best and the only option. Dibrugarh is the
closest town.
by rail :
Nearest railhead is Tinsukia (45km/2hr). It is well
connected with Delhi and NJP.
by air :
Dibrugarh is 150km/7 hr away. Daily flights from all
metros via Guwahati.
|
|
| |
|
|
© 2008, Banjara Camps & Retreats Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. All rights reserved.
Our new media partner: Inomy Media |
|
|
|
