
The
towering trees occluded the sky, the variety of birds heard but not seen and
the occasional tantalising glimpse of a forested mountain, I knew it could
only be the Namdapha National Park. The Namdapha Park lies in the Indian
state of Arunachal Pradesh and spans almost 2,000 sq km of mainly
uninhabited tropical forest and contains habitats from riverbanks to the
snow capped peaks. Namdapha is reportedly said to be the only place in India
where one can see the four species of large cats the tiger, snow
leopard, clouded leopard and leopard.
Flora & Fauna
The Flora
Namdapha National Park is a true Botanist's Paradise and has the botanical
resources in abundance. There are more than 150 timber species available at
Namdapha. The Pinus Merkusi and Abies Delavavi are the special possession of
the park. The Blue Vanda, one of the rarest and endangered orchids is also
found here. Mishimi Teeta is a local medicinal plant that is used by the
local people for curing certain diseases.
The Fauna
The park is houses diverse species of animals and birds. It is the single
park in the World to have the four Feline species of big cat namely the
Tiger, Clouded Leopard and Leopard and Snow Leopard.. Several primate
species are also seen in the park, such as Assamese Macaque, pig-tailed
Macaque, stump-tailed Macaque and number of the distict Hoolock Gibbons.
Highly endangered and only 'Ape' species found in India also dwells in this
dense virgin forest. Other important animals are the Elephants, Black Bear
and Indian Bison.
The Birds
The bird species found here are the White winged Wood Ducks, the great
Indian Hornbills, Jungle Fowls and Pheasants.
Straight Stuff
Location: Arunachal Pradesh
Total Area: 2,000 sq. kms.
Declared As: A National Park in 1984
Visiting Season: October to March
Baits: Tiger, elephant, Black Bearand Indian Bison
Entry Fee: Rs. 10 Indians, Rs. 50 foreigners
Accommodation
There are not many accommodation options here except for the Forest Rest
House at Deban and Camp Namdapha. To mention a few are:
- The Forest Rest House
- Camp Namdapha
How To Roll In
Air : The nearest point of entry via air is the airport at
Dibrugarh, Assam.
Rail : The rail station is situated at Tinsukia in Assam.
Road : Buses run only to Miao and are not a very reliable option.
Miao can be reached by Jeep/Gypsy from Margherita (Assam) and Pasighat.