Namdapha National Park

A long walk in the vast and unexplored Namdapha National Park....visit Arunachal Pradesh.

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.