How Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary Helps the Economy of Arunachal Pradesh

BY: AMI NATHUNG

the Eaglenest wildlife sanctuary is located in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. It stretches across 218 square kilometres of the foothills of Himalayan region of Northeast India.

This wildlife sanctuary derives its name from the Red Eagle Division of the Indian Army which was stationed there in the 1950s. The Eaglenest  wildlife sanctuary has a subtropical climate and it receives plenty of rain in the month of april, due to the high altitude it even receives snow in the peak of the winter.

Eaglenest wildlife sanctuary has about 34 species of amphibians, 32 species of snakes , 12 species of lizards , over 700 species of birds and 250 species of butterflies.Some of the  animals found in this sanctuary are: Asian elephant, capped langur ,Bengal tiger, red panda, Gaur,Asiatic black bear, Arunachal macaque, wild dogs etc.

The Eaglenest wildlife sanctuary is mostly known for its population of variety of bird species. The dense forest area provides these species with abundance of shelter and food. Also, the scenic landscapes provide a scope for tourism. It is one of the top birdwatching hotspots in India and is called the 'Birdwatcher’s paradise'.

This beautiful sanctuary is home to the newly discovered and rare species Bugun liocichla, an endangered bird species, which can be found in this wildlife sanctuary. It can be found nowhere on earth Except on the 1 square km patch of Bugun community land. Other rare bird species include Ward’s Trogon , Beatutiful Nuthatch,and Wedge-billed Babbler.

Eaglenest wildlife sanctuary has helped the economy of Arunachal Pradesh with the community based Eco- tourism.

The birds and wildlife based eco tourism in Eagle nest is run and owned  entirely by the community. It also act as a unique conservation initiative for the Eaglenest sanctuary and adjoining community foresrts region.

It is one of the few successful community based Eco tourism programs in the entire country where the conservation of wildlife and economy of the community go hand-in-hand.

Keep following Inside Northeast on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram. Do download our app from the Google Playstore for the latest news updates, views, and entertainment on the go. We deliver the Northeast.