Pakhui (Pakke) Tiger Reserve is a protected area in the east Kameng district of Arunachal Parades in north-eastern India with head quarter at Seijusa, 21 Km for Saibari in Assam. The reserve is 862 sq. km. in size and encompasses altitudes ranging from 100 to 2000 metres above sea level. It is bounded by Kameng River in the west-North, Pakke River in the East iterate boundary with Assam in the south. The reserve is dark deep and green. Little rivulets crossing and moving into narrow clearing with animals are amazing. The habitat types are lowland semi- evergreen, evergreen forest and Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests. The reserve is contiguous with the Nameri Tiger Reserve in the neighbouring state of Assam.
From Reserve Forest to Tiger Reserve
Originally, this was known as Pakke Reserve Forest. River Kameng and river Pakke make their way through the periphery of this park gave this name in 1966. It was designated ‘Como Sanctuary’ in 1977. Later on it was declared as Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary in 2002. It was finally brought under the Project Tiger Scheme of Government of India in February 18, 2002 and just after five days it was designated as Pakhui Tiger Resave.
As per the Champion and Seth’s classification Forests type this reserve has been classified as follows:
i. Assam valley tropical semi evergreen forests.
ii. Sub-Himalayan light alluvial semi evergreen forests 92b/C/151).
iii. Eastern Hollock forests (3/152/(b)).
iv. Upper Assam valley tropical evergreen forests (IB/C2B)
v. Tropical revering forests (4E/RSI)
vi. Secondary moist bamboo tract (E1/2/SI)
Vegetation
The lower areas of the reserve are covered with swampy rainforests, great sized trees like the Hoolock, Bola and giant sized Bamboos, orchids, plentiful Climbers (most prominently of Cane) and abundant under growth. The cane species are Calamus crectus, Calamus tenuis and Calamus flagella.
Bamboos
Bamboos are found here in giant size and even in higher region. There are over 12 genera and 30 species of Bamboo occurring in Arunachal Pradesh. The important bamboo species are Dendroclamus hamitonii, Bamboosa pelida and Pseudostachym polymorphism. The higher altitudes between 1,000 to 3,000m have mainly deciduous and mixed deciduous forests. Walnuts, oaks, Chestnuts, Pine, Spruce and Rhododendrons are found here. Short stature wild Rhododendrons are, however, found in plenty at a height of about 4,000 m. between the two areas, there come an area of conifers. Above the area of the Rhododendrons lies the alpine meadows at peaks just short of 5,000 m.
Orchids
Orchids are indicators of primary, virgin and undisturbed forests. “There is something about orchids that calls to mind a femme fatale. It swathes in musky scents or disguising itself as a bee in heat. Its beauty takes a thousand different strange and beautiful forms-from sinuous fronds cascading from branches to jewel like insects nestled on the floor”, writes a wide traveler, Shruti Ravindran. India has 1450 of the world’s 35,000 wild orchid species. The 900 of its rarest, most exquisite and richest forms are found in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Sikkim and Bengal’s Darjeeling district. The wide range of agro-climatic conditions, heavy humidity and rainfall and the trans-migration of neighbouring Sino-Burmese species make this area an ideal habitat for an enormous profusion and variety of Orchids. Orchids can be ground-growing, epiphytic i.e. growing on rocks and trees, or saprophytic, i.e. growing on decaying forest waste. India’s rarest orchids-the Lost Ladies Slipper and the blue Vanda- a purple-streaked hood, are tree-growing epiphytes. According to orchidology lore, a soldier in British Indian Army first spotted Lost Ladies Slipper in the late 19th century. The red and blue vanda are another two rare orchids close to extinction. Diplomeris hirsute, i.e. Snow orchid can be seen after a three day trek in the eastern Himalayas.
The major tree species include, Terminalia myriocarpa (Hollock) which is huge tree, Ailanthus ezcelsa (Barapt), Duabhangagrandiflora (Khokan), Canarium resinferum, Trewia nudiflora, Tetramelus nudiflora, Sterculia villosa, Macropanax dapermus, Syzigiummacrocarpum, Garcinia species, Quercus lamaliosa, Castonopis indica, Phoebe goalparensis, amorawallichii, ailanthus grandis, pterspermum scerifoloium, dillenia indica, artocarpus chaplas, bischofia japonica (uriam), albizia procer and bambox ociba (simul).
Fauna
The faunas are the tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, jungle cat, wild dog, fishing cat, jackal, Indian fox, Himalayan black bear, biturong, elephant, gaur, Sambhar, Hog deer, barking deer, slow Loris, wildboar, yellow throated martin, Malayan Gaint squirrel, flying squirrel, squirrel, civet, capped langur, rheasus macaque, assamese Macaque, bison etc.The presence of stamp tailed macaque has been reported by one researcher.
The Birds
Colourful birds are spotted in the reserve. They include hornbill, white winged wood duck, jungle fowl, peacock, pheasant, dove, barbets. drongo, scrpent eagle, Baaz eagles, ducks etc.
Some reptiles like the python the Cobra or the Krait are distinct possibilities.