Nameri National Park

Nameri National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Nameri National Park
Location	Sonitpur Assam India
Nearest city	Tezpur, India
Area	200 km2 (77.2 sq mi)
Established	1978
Governing body	Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India

Nameri National Park is a national park located in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas in the Sonitpur District of Assam, India, about 35 kilometres from Tezpur.^[1]

Nameri shares its northern boundary with the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary of Arunachal.Together they constitute an area of over 1000 km² Of which nameri has a total area of 200  km^2[2]

Etymology

The park was declared a reserve forest on 17 October 1978. It was set up as a Nameri Sanctuary on 18 September 1985 with an area of137 km² as a part of Naduar Forest Reserve.Until then the Nameri National Park was heaving used for logging. Another 75  km² was added on 15 November 1998 when it was officially established as a National Park. The Jia Bhoroli river of Assam was famous since, the time of British for the Golden Mahseer Angling.^[3]

Flora

The vegetation type of nameri is of semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests with cane and bamboo brakes and narrow strips of open grassland along rivers.The forests are also rich in epiphytes, lianas,and creepers and clump-forming bamboo^[2] This forest has over 600 species. Some notable species are Gmelina arborea, Michelia champaca, Amari, Chukrasia tabularis, Lagrslroomia Speciosa, Urium poma, Bhelou, Agaru, Rudraksha, Bonjolokia, Hatipolia akhakan, Terminalia myriocarpa, Mesua ferrca.It also is home for Orchids like Dendrobium, Cymbidium and Cypripedium reginae.^[3]

Fauna

This is excellent elephant country it was considered to be a elephant reserve.It is also an ideal habitat for a host of other animals including the tiger, Leopard, Sambar, dhole (the Asiatic wild dog), Pygmy Hog, Muntjac, Gaur, Wild Boar, Sloth Bear, Himalayan Black Bear, Capped Langur and Indian Giant Squirrel. Nameri is a birder's paradise with over 300 species of birds. The white winged wood duck, Great Pied Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Rufous Necked Hornbill, Black Stork, Ibis Bill, Blue-bearded Bee-eaters, Babblers, Plovers and many other birds make nameri its home.^[4]

Ibisbill in Nameri National Park

Conflicts and threats

Nameri faces two threats one due to the continued official logging in the area of a sonipat. The major threat for nameri is the Human Animal Conflict which is due to around 3000 cattle grazing the forest.^[4] The other human animal conflict due to the vast group of elephants which are present in nameri.There have been several cases of elephant deaths like in 2001 there were 18 elephant deaths.^[5]

References

1. ^ Tourism.webindia123.com
2. ^ ^{a b} "Anornithological survey in north-east India". http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:FbQXHxkuQOIJ:scholar.google.com/+nameri+national+park&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Press Information Bureau English Releases". http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=48616. Retrieved 2011-07-08. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Nameri-Aassam". http://projecttiger.nic.in/nameri.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-07. 
5. ^ "PROTECTED AREA UPDATE". http://wiienvis.nic.in/paupdates/update33.rtf. Retrieved 2011-07-08. 

Coordinates: 27°00′36″N 92°47′24″E / 27.01°N 92.79°E / 27.01; 92.79