Pakhui Tiger Reserve

Pakhui Tiger Reserve (also known as Pakke Tiger Reserve) is situated in the Pakke Kessang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The total area the reserve covers is approximately 862 Km Square and is protected by the Environment & Forest Department of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The forests of Pakhui are known for their biodiversity and the reserve has won the Indian Biodiversity Award of 2016 for the Conservation of threatened species of Hornbill. The forests of Pakhui were first declared a sanctuary in the year 1977 and later converted into a tiger reserve in the year 2002 based on a proposal made in the year 1999. Pakhui Tiger Reserve lies within the Eastern Himalayas foothills and is surrounded by the Kameng River in the west and north, and the Pakke River across the east. Pakhui Tiger Reserve has a subtropical climate with cold winter.

Different tourist activities are available in the forests including jeep rides, a cultural program from the locals, bird watching etc. There are Government forest bungalows for the tourists to stay in & private rest houses within a radius of 4 to 5 Km.

Flora & Fauna

There are different types of habitats here, majorly semi-evergreen, evergreen forest & Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forest. Approximately 343 types of woody species of flowering plants have been reported from the lowland areas in the reserve. At least 1500 species of vascular plants out of which 500 species are woody are expected in Pakhui Tiger Reserve. It is believed approximately 40 mammal species are found in the reserve out of which Tigers, leopards and clouded Leopards are major species, and wild dogs and Asiatic jackals are also found among carnivorous animals. Some of the herbivore species found in the reserve are Elephants, Barking Deer, Gaur and sambhar. The common monkeys found here include the rhesus, Assamese macaques & capped langur.

As per reports more than 290 bird species have been recorded in the reserve with the white-winged wood duck, the unique ibis bill & the oriental bay owl among the most famous and endangered species. Hornbills are sometimes also observed from the riverbank.
More than 500 species of butterflies and approximately 36 species of reptiles are also found in the forest here.

Getting There

The nearest major town to the Pakhui Tiger Reserve is Tezpur and Tezpur Airport is the nearest major airport to the reserve. Government state transport buses are available from Tezpur. Also, shared taxis are available from Soibar, Itanagar.