Pakke Tiger Reserve

Pakke Tiger Reserve is located in in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The 862-sq km Pakke Reserve home to many rare and endangered wildlife species, such as leopard, wild dog, Himalayan black bear and elephant.

Contiguous with the Nameri Tiger Reserve of Assam, it is also an important habitat for the big cats big cats, one of the most endangered species in the world. Pakke is also the only Hornbill sanctuary in India. The forest around this reserve harbors four hornbills species - great hornbills, wreathed, oriental pied and the rufous-necked, listed 10 Schedule l of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972), while the last variety is a globally threatened bird species.

The Pakke River lies to the east and the Bhareli River to the west and the north.

Flora

The vegetation is predominantly of Assam valley tropical semi-evergreen forest. A variety of wild tree species and crop plants including 234 species of woody flowering plants have been recorded from the lowland areas of the park. Karibadam, Khokon, Gamari, Kanchan, Hatipoila, Bhelu, Borpat, Chatiana and grass species like Saccharum munja, Saccharum spontaneum, Imperata cylindrica and Themeda, cane species, timber species such as Hollock, Sopa etc are the common. Also about eight species of bamboo occur in the area.

Fauna

The ravines of this sanctuary are home to a large variety of fauna. The reserve is home to over 2000 species of plants, 300 species of birds, 60 species of mammals, 30 species of amphibians and 36 species of reptiles.

The mammals species consists of tiger, leopard, jungle cat, civets, weasel, mongooses, Asiatic black bear, wild dog, Asiatic jackal etc. Seven large herbivores such as Asian elephant, gaur, sambar, barking deer, wild pig which are predominantly found in the lowlands and the serow and goral found in the higher reaches of reserve.

Among 300 species birds, one can spot the Jerdon's baza, pied falconet, white-cheeked hill-partridge, grey peacock-pheasant, elwe's crake, ibisbill, emerald cuckoo, red-headed trogon, green-pigeon spp., forest eagle-owl, wreathed and great hornbills, collared and long-tailed broadbills, blue-naped pitta, lesser shortwing, white-browed shortwing, daurian redstart, leschenault's forktail, lesser necklaced laughing-thrush, silver-eared leiothrix, white-bellied yuhina, yellow-bellied flycatcher-warbler, sultan tit, ruby-cheeked sunbird, maroon oriole and the crow-billed drongo.

There are plenty of butterflies at Pakke Reserve. Of the 1500 butterfly species found in India, Pakke is home to around 400-500 species. One can see over 150 to 200 species of butterflies during the summer and monsoon months. Skippers, Common Bluebottle, Dark Velvet Bob, Common Bluebottle, Chestnut Bob, Yellow Helen, Red Helen, Chocolate Royal, Magpie Crow, Forest Hopper etc have all made their home here.

There are plenty of reptiles too. The reptile species consists of Assam roof turtle, Monitor lizard, King Cobra, Giant Tuctoo Gecko etc.