Namdapha National Park

Why in News?

An elephant has been camera-trapped after 12 years, as the encroachment since 1996 blocked the jumbo migration route between Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar through Namdapha National Park.

• It is India’s easternmost tiger reserve and National park situated in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is originally declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1972 and a National Park and Tiger Reserve (15^th Tiger Project) in 1983.
• The Namdapha protected area is wedged between Dapha Bum ridge of Mishmi Hills, of North Eastern Himalayas and Patkai Ranges.
• The reserve has a common boundary with Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary (Lohit District).
• Vegetation - It consists of Northern Tropical Evergreen Forest, North Indian Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests, East Himalayan Moist Temperate Forests, Moist Alpine Scrub Forests.
• River - It lies along the Noa-Dihing river lies in the tropical rain forest.
• Flora - The Pinus merkusi and Abies delavavi are not found elsewhere in India.
• One of the rarest and endangered orchids, the Blue Vanda found here.
• The most famous local medicinal plant Mishimi Teeta (Copti teeta), is available here but its export has been banned.
• It is only park in the World to have the 4 Feline species of big cat namely
  • The Tiger (Panthera Tigris),
  • Leopard (Panthera Pardus),
  • Snow Leopard (Panthera Uncia) and
  • Clouded Leopard (Neofelis Nebulosa) and numbers of Lesser cats.
• Primate species - Assamese macaque, pig-tailed macaque, stump-tailed macaque and Hoolock Gibbons (Hylobates Hoolock), highly endangered and only ‘ape’ species found in India dwells here.
• Birds - White winged Wood Ducks, a rare and endangered species, the great Indian hornbills, jungle fowls and pheasants.

References

1. The Hindu | Namdapha Tiger Reserve
2. Government of Arunachal Pradesh | Namdapha National Park