17 Apr : Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh has shown consistent growth in tiger population since 1993.More than 60 per cent of the protected area is virgin and unexplored. Today, 61 tigers have been sighted in the reserve during last tiger census. They were 49, 52 and 57 during 1993, 1995 and 1997 respectively. It is named after the river Namdapha originating from Daphabum, the highest mountain peak in the Reserve. Almost the whole of the protected area has a dense cover of vegetation with high hills, and numerous rivers and seasonal streams. The bottlenecks of not having roads and remoteness of the large part of the Reserve act as a natural barrier for its protection but at the same time handicap management activities.
Four big cats viz. tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and snow leopard are existing in the Namdapha along with Panther, Sambar, Barking Deer, Himalayan black bear and Gaur. Hoolock Gibbon, Golden Cat, Marbled Cat, Mishmi Takin, Red Panda, Namdapha Flying Squirrel, White Wing Wood Duck, Namdapha Shortwing Bird are indicative of unique faunal diversity of Namdapha.This area was originally Reserved Forests and was declared as Wildlife Sanctuary in 1972 under Assam Forest Regulation.It was declared a National Park in1983. In the same year,it was declared a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger scheme .An area of 177.425 sq.km of the reserved forest was added to the Tiger Reserve in 1986.
Prior to constitution of Arunachal Pradesh, the entire Union Territory was known as North East Frontier Agency (N.E.F.A.). A scheme for the creation of a National Park in N.E.F.A. was proposed in 1947 which could not materialize. With initiative of the Deputy Commissioner of Khonsa, the area was declared a Reserved Forest under the Assam Forest Regulation in the year 1970 and subsequently the whole reserve was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in the year 1972.
Since 1996-97, every year more than 50 villagers are taken to Kaziranga, to educate about the importance of wildlife and its potential in improving the economic condition of the people through wildlife tourism and other activities.Today, people feel proud about Namdapha heritage.