Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary, situated near Itanagar in Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh, hosts a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. It encompasses an area of 140.30 square kilometres and was previously known as Itanagar Reserve Forest. The wildlife of the sanctuary has suffered major deterioration in number due to clearance of forest covers for human habitation and developmental purposes. However the northern and eastern side of the sanctuary still shelters several fauna. Adorned with exquisite natural beauty, it forms a prime tourist destination and its diverse climate and topographical conditions supports a vast variety of flora and fauna.
Geography of Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary
It is geographically bordered by Pam River in the east, Chingke stream in the north, Neorochi on the north-east and Pachin in the south. Besides the valleys and foothills, Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary mostly comprises hilly terrain. However at several places the hills have been cut down by a number of meandering rivers and streams. The hill slopes are quite steep and constitutes narrow valleys.
Flora of Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary
Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary has rich vegetation which can be categorized as wet evergreen and tropical semi evergreen. The forests are basically of heterogeneous type and exhibits merging of evergreen and semi evergreen forest having abundant species. Pure patches of bamboo can be spotted very frequently. Mixed bamboo forests cover a major portion of the sanctuary. Bambusa palida (Bijuli) and Dendrocalamus hamiltonii (Kako) are the most common bamboo species found in the sanctuary. Other species found here include Allpinia allugus, Phramites karka, Andropogon assimillis, S. Spontamum, Succharam procerum, Castonopsis indica, Schima Wallichii (Makrisal), Magnolia spp., Toona ciliate, Amoora wallichii, Duabanga grandiflora and many more.
Fauna of Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary
Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary has a great repertoire of wildlife, many of which has depleted in recent past. Common species found here include Bear, Barking Deer, Sambar, Panther, Tiger, Elephant and many more. The beautiful Hornbill which is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh was also extensively found in the sanctuary; however their population depleted drastically owing to the loss of natural habitat.
Hunting in Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary
Tribals of Arunachal Pradesh are extensively involved in hunting for beaks, feather, anther, bones, teeth, skin and other parts of the animals. These are used by them as decorative trophies and hunting is a sign of masculinity and values according to the tribal beliefs. Animals of higher vertebrates, fishes and birds are the major victims of hunting in the sanctuary.
Visiting Information
Nearest railway station to reach Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary is Harmuty. It can be also reached through road as regular taxi and bus services can be availed from Tezpur, Guwahati and Itanagar.
