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- Where is this Indian Rainforest?– Rainforests bring us the grim feels of the mysterious amazons, the gold rush of El Dorado, the encounter with anaconda and the poison-arrow blower Efe Pygmies to be precise. But these rains, get introduced to the Eastern Himalayan Rainforest of India through our knowledge tourism course. Know the lush green moist deciduous timberland representing the last patch of rainforests of this hemisphere and explore the treasure trove of floral and faunal diversity of this rainforest with our acclaimed experts.
- Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary– The Sanctuary was named after Mehao Lake. The terrain of the Sanctuary is hilly, clothed with Tropical Evergreen Forests. The under-story is also thickly covered with undergrowth. There are two major lakes inside the Sanctuary, Mehao and Sally. The Mehao Lake (<200 ha) is situated at an altitude of 1,640 m and Sally (2 ha) is at 520 m. The Mehao Lake originated as a result of the 1950 earthquake. Mehao WLS is thinly populated and most of the areas have not yet been named. There is only one fair-weather jeepable road passing through the Sanctuary from Roing to Hunli. Topographically, the terrain is entirely hilly, varying in altitude from 400 m to 3,560 m. Several perennials fast-flowing streams drain the Sanctuary, notably the Iphipani, Eje, Eme, Aba and Difu. The Sanctuary forms a part of the catchment area of the Brahmaputra River. Peaks above 2,000 m experience above snowfall. The Sanctuary is located on the windward side of the Eastern Himalayas so it receives heavy rainfall both from the southwest and the northeast monsoons. It rains nearly half of the year. Areas converted due to jhum cultivation earlier, are being covered with bamboo and other secondary vegetation. Cane is common in humid areas. At least 175 bird species have been recorded in this ‘Important Bird Area’ (IBA). Among the threatened birds, Spotbill Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) was recorded just outside the Sanctuary in 1994. White-winged Duck (Cairina scutulata) was also recorded from Mehao lake. The Wedge- billed Wren-Babbler (Sphenocichla humei), a Restricted Range species, and one of the least known Indian species have been recorded from this Sanctuary. In the Eastern Himalayas endemic bird areas (EBA) 21 species are found in India, out of which 10 have been reported from this IBA. Due to altitudinal variation from 400 m to 3,560 m, this site has three biomes: Biome 7 (Sino- Himalayan Temperate Forest), Biome-8 (Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest), Biome-9 (Indo- Chinese Tropical Moist Forest). A total of 60 biome species are found in this IBA. There are 66 mammals, 5 primates, of which Capped Langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) and Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang) are uncommon. Red Panda Ailurus fulgens is found at higher elevations only. Seven species of Felids are reported, including the Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia), which is only a winter visitor. Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) is extremely rare in this IBA.
- Why would you be there?– This 3-day short course takes you to Mehao Wild Life Sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh, located in the valley of river Dibang, wherein the wilderness is bestowed upon indigenous Himalayan highlanders like Idu Mishmi and Aapatanis. The beautiful moist green and dense habitat hosts the rare Indian Primate from the IUCN Red list – The Hoolock Gibbons. It’s an amazing experience to see their habit and habitat, understand their social life, and click to carry back home a rare moment. These rainforests in the upper Brahmaputra Valley also host seven major cats and four rare macaques, along with capped langur and the Vulnerable Bengal slow loris. Studying the habitat, understanding the indigenous lifestyle or simply being a shutterbug for three long days is a lifetime experience.
- What would you do there?– You stay in our ‘Jungle Camp’ sustainable green resort on the fringe of the Mehao WLS, wherein you get to know about the genesis, diversity and threats of this last patch of the remnant rainforest of India. Our experts and specialists take you through the field trails amidst the rainforest, the Hoolock habitat and the indigenous communities. They opportune your experiences with the flora and fauna, while you learn to explore nature as a naturalist, a wildlife photographer. Back home, in the evening your sessions are enlightened with cultural performances, stories and folklores, local recipes and a debriefing session with the campfire.
Location – Dibang Valley: Course name – Rainforest Ecology
Brief Itinerary of ‘Rainforest Ecology’ in Dibang ValleyHow to enrol in the course
Please see the steps for enrolling in these all-time hit courses. Remember, seats are limited to only 10 (Ten) in each session to ensure sustainable tourism. So, the earlier you register, the earlier you get a chance to be on board. First come first served.
* The Itineraries are changeable; modifications can be done as per the requirements.
