Balpakram National Park Balpakram National Park is located about 3000 meters above sea level, in the South Garo Hills district. Alternatively, this park is known as the ‘abode of perpetual winds’ and the ‘land of spirits’. It was established as a National Park in the year 1985. The mythological stories of the Garos triggered by natural land formations (physical and biological) of the area and unnatural phenomena are associated with this national park. Some of the mysterious sites are Matchru, Areng Patal and Rongsobok Rongkol. This park has a wide variety of flora, fauna and marine fossils. It is adorned with Balpakram plateau and adjacent forests, medicinal plants, rare and endemic insectivorous plants and rare medicinal herb called ‘Dikges’. A noteworthy aspect of the park is a canyon-cum-gorge. Some of the other occupants of the park are mammals like red panda, golden cat, tiger, leopard and Asian elephants, birds like great hornbill, bay woodpecker and peacock, kingfisher and reptiles like python. Nokrek National Park Nokrek National Park is located approximately 2 km from Tura Peak in West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya. It is spread over an area of about 47.48 square kilometers. It was declared a National Park in the year 1986 and included in the list of Biosphere Reserves in May, 2009 by the UNESCO. The geographical terrain of the park is mostly hilly covered with thick semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests. In most of the Biosphere Reserve area the soil is red loam. High amounts of iron have been examined in the rocks of the park. The area of the park is full of sedimentary rocks such as shales, pebbles and sand stones. Nokrek Peak and Rongbang Dare Waterfall are known to be the noteworthy and popular sites of the park. The area is also known for wild varieties of citrus fruits that provide a gene-pool for commercially produced citrus and cultivation of Memang Narang, a species of oranges. The park is especially gaining attention due to the preservation of the remaining population of the red panda. Some of the other occupants of the park are elephant, capped langur, serow, plants, birds like peacock and reptiles like python. |