Arunachal Pradesh is home to 3 tiger reserves.
1. Pakke Tiger Reserve
- Pakke Tiger Reserve is located in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh in India.
- It is nestled in the eastern Himalayan foothills.
- It is also known as Pakhui Tiger Reserve.
- In 1996, the area of Pakke Tiger Reserve was initially established as Pakhui Reserve Forest.
- In 1977, it was established as a wildlife sanctuary.
- In 1999-2000, Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary was designated as a tiger reserve under the Project Tiger.
- It was the 26th Tiger Reserve in India.
- In 2011, the Hornbill Nest Adoption Program (HNAP), in collaboration with the Ghora-Aabhe Society (which is a village council) and the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department was adopted.
- In 2016, Pakke Tiger Reserve was honored with the India Biodiversity Award. It received the award in the category of ‘Conservation of threatened species’ for its innovative Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme.
- In 2021, the Arunachal Pradesh state cabinet adopted the ‘Pakke Declaration,’ also known as the “Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change Resilient and Responsive Arunachal Pradesh.”
- Area: The area of Pakke Tiger Reserve is as follows:
- Core: 861.95 Sq. Km
- Buffer: 515.00 Sq. Km.
- Total: 1276.95 Sq. Km
- River: Following river flow through the reserve:
- The Bhareli River (Kameng River) forms the western and northern boundaries of the tiger reserve.
- The Pakke River, after which the reserve is named, flows along its eastern boundary.
- Some of the main perennial streams include:
- Nameri Stream
- Khari Stream
- Upper Dikorai Stream
- Tribe: The Nyishi community is an indigenous tribe that resides in the vicinity of the tiger reserve.
- Flora: Some key vegetation types found within the reserve:
- Assam Valley Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forest,
- Subtropical Broadleaved Forests,
- Lowland Moist Forests.
- Fauna: Tigers, Leopards, Asian Elephants, Hornbills, Clouded Leopard, Himalayan Black Bear, Gaur, Sambar, Hornbills, Himalayan Monal, King Cobra, Assam Roofed Turtle, Monitor Lizards etc.
2. Kamlang Tiger Reserve
- Kamlang Tiger Reserve is located in the south-eastern part of the Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh in India.
- It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas.
- It is surrounded by the Kamlang River on the Northern side and Namdapha National Park on the Southern side.
- In 1989, Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary was established as a protected area.
- In 2016, Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve under Project Tiger.
- Area: Kamlang Tiger Reserve covers an area of approximately 783 square kilometers (302 square miles).
- Its elevation ranges from 200 meters (656 feet) to 4,572 meters (15,000 feet) above sea level.
- River: The reserve is named after the Kamlang River, which flows through it.
- Lake: Glow Lake is located within Kamlang Tiger Reserve.
- Tribe: The Mishmi, Digaro Mishmi, and Miju Mishmi are some of the tribal communities that reside in the vicinity of the reserve.
- Flora: The reserve is home to a wide variety of plant species, including the following:
- Tropical Evergreen Forests (Dipterocarpus, Terminalia, Syzygium, Mesua, and Canarium),
- Subtropical Broadleaf Forests (Castanopsis, Altingia, Michelia, Engelhardtia, Lithocarpus, and Rhododendron),
- Alpine Vegetation,
- Bamboo Groves.
- Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Marbled Cat, Snow Leopard, Asian Elephant, Sambar, Barking Deer, Golden Cat, Malayan Sun Bear, Slow Loris, Stump-tailed Macaque, Capped Langur, Hoolock Gibbon, Takin, White-bellied Heron, Great Hornbill, Assam Roofed Turtle, Indian Rock Python, Monitor Lizards etc.
3. Namdapha Tiger Reserve
- The Namdapha Tiger Reserve is located in the Changlang District of the state of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.
- In 1972, the Government of India declared the Namdapha region as a wildlife sanctuary.
- In 1983, the Namdapha Wildlife Sanctuary was upgraded to a tiger reserve.
- In 1983, a significant portion of Namdapha Tiger Reserve was declared as Namdapha National Park.
- Area: The core or critical tiger habitat within the reserve is approximately 1807.82 square kilometers (698.14 square miles).
- Core: 1807.82 sq km
- Buffer: 245 sq km
- Total: 2052.82 sq km
- River: The reserve is named after the Namdapha River, which flows through it. other rivers are:
- Namdapha River
- Noa-Dihing River
- Diyun River
- Dapha River
- Deban River
- Tribe: Here are a few prominent tribes that are associated with the Namdapha Tiger Reserve:
- Tangsa Tribe
- Lisu Tribe:
- Singpho Tribe
- Flora: The reserve encompasses various forest types, including the following:
- Northern Tropical Evergreen Forest or Assam Valley Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest (Dipterocarpus species),
- North Indian Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests (Terminalia and Duabanga),
- East Himalayan Moist Temperate Forests,
- Moist Alpine Scrub Forests,
- Assam Valley Alluvial Plains Semi-evergreen Forests,
- Eastern Hollock Forests.
- Fauna: Tiger, Jaguar, Snow leopard, Elephants, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Sun Bear, Hoolock Gibbon, Slow Loris, Goral, Serow, Sambar, Namdapha Flying Squirrel, Great Pied Hornbill, White Winged Wood Duck, King Cobra etc.