Home > Indian History > Flora & Fauna > Dampa Tiger Reserve
Dampa Tiger Reserve
Dampa Tiger Reserve is located in western Mizoram. It was considered as a tiger reserve in the year 1994. It is the abode of several species of flora and fauna.

Share this Article:

Dampa Tiger Reserve, MizoramDampa Tiger Reserve, also known as Dampha Tiger Reserve is located in western Mizoram covering an area of about 500 sq. km. The reserve is located on the Lushai Hills at an altitude of 800-1100 meters. It was declared as a tiger reserve in 1994 and currently is a part of the Project Tiger. It is home to numerous species of flora and fauna. However, in the tiger census of 2018, no tiger was found in this reserve.

History of Dampa Tiger Reserve
The word Dampa means "lonely men" and refers to a local narrative about a village, where a lot of women died. The protected area was initially established as wildlife sanctuary in 1985. In 1994, it received the status of a Tiger Reserve.

Flora of Dampa Tiger Reserve
Rare floral species have been found in Dampa Tiger Reserve including rare ginger species like Globba spathulata and Hemiorchis pantlingii.

Fauna of Dampa Tiger Reserve
The reserve is the abode of Indian leopard, sloth bear, gaur, serow, deer, wild boar, hoolock gibbon, Phayre`s leaf monkey, gray langur, Rhesus macaque and slow loris. Four Bengal tigers were recorded in 1994. It has one of the highest clouded leopard populations in South and South East Asia. In 2012, tiger presence was confirmed through Scat samples. The National Tiger Conservation Authority recommended that tigers from Assam"s Kaziranga National Park can be introduced to Dampa Tiger Reserve.

Dampa Tiger Reserve, MizoramAvifauna of Dampa Tiger Reserve
Bird species sighted in Dampa Tiger Reserve are great hornbill, wreathed hornbill, oriental pied hornbill, scarlet-backed flowerpecker, Kalij pheasant, grey peacock-pheasant, speckled piculet and white-browed piculet, bay woodpecker, greater yellownape, greater flameback, great barbet, blue-throated barbet, red-headed trogon, Indian cuckoo and others.

Threats to Dampa Tiger Reserve
An increase in built up (590%), bamboo forest (192.89%) and scrub (74.67%) areas has consequently led the Dampa Tiger Reserve to witness a decrease in cover area of evergreen or semi evergreen closed forests. More specifically, this drop is from 152.47 square kilometers in the year 1978 to 95.27 square kilometers in the year 2005. It is believed that the practice of shifting cultivation by villagers at the border of the reserve is the very reason for the decrement in area. It is important to note that concerns were raised on the restrictions on animal movement consequent to construction of a 62 km fence and patrol road along the Bangladesh boundary near the reserve in Mizoram. Unfortunately, still they are known to be constructed.

Visiting Information on Dampa Tiger Reserve
November to February is generally considered to be the best months to visit this reserve. Nearest airport from Dampa Tiger Reserve is Lenpui Airport in Aizawl, Mizoram. It is located at a distance of about 70 km from the Tiger Reserve. Daily Vayudoot air services forms a connection between Kolkata and Aizawl. Nearest rail head from the Dampa is in Silchar. It is located at a distance of about 180 km from Aizawl. As far as roadway is concerned to reach the destination, it can be noted that Mizoram State Transport buses ply regularly between Silchar and Aizawl. The Reserve is about 133 square kilometers from Aizawl in Mizoram.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in Flora & Fauna

Flora Of Uttarakhand
Uttaranchal falls under the west Himalayan Biogeography zone and it is well-known for floral diversity .
Flora and Fauna of Ladakh
Flora and Fauna is typical to t he kind of mountainous terrain which dominate the entire landscape of the region. Though some varieties of fauna are to be found here, the vegetation is very limited due to the dry and cold climate.
Flora and fauna in Tripura
Two-thirds of Tripura is forested where different species of trees, orchids, birds and wildlife are found. There are four sanctuaries in the state namely, Rowa wildlife sanctuary, Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary, Trishna wildlife sanctuary and Gumti wildlife sanctuary.
Flora and Fauna in Meghalaya
70 percent of Meghalaya is forested. Meghalayan forests are considered to be among the richest botanical habitats of Asia. These forests receive abundant rainfall and support a vast variety of floral and faunal biodiversity.
Flora and Fauna of Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is rich in flora and fauna. Flora includes thorn bush type of the arid plain to the temperate and alpine flora of the higher altitudes. Faunal species found here are leopard, cheetah and deer, wild sheep, bear, brown musk shrew, muskrat; varieties of snakes, bats, lizards etc.
Flora and fauna in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Economy of this region is primly based on agriculture. In Andaman island, paddy is the main food crop, while in Nicoabar island coconut and areca nut are the main crops. Some field crops like pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are also grown here.
Flora And Fauna Of Uttar Pradesh
Flora and Fauna of Uttar Pradesh is widely diversified and adds pride to the state.
Flora and fauna of Kerala
Flora and Fauna of Kerala are diverse. The favourable climate with heavy rainfall and good quality of the soils helps both the flora and fauna to thrive. Forest covers a large area in the Western Ghats of Kerala.
Flora and fauna of Karnataka
Flora and fauna of Karnataka are diverse and comprise of plants, animals, birds, reptiles, etc. Flora of Karnataka comprises of species like eucalyptus, teak and rosewood. Fauna of Karnataka comprises of species like leopard, gaur and wild pig.
Flora and Fauna of Rajasthan
The flora and fauna of Rajasthan supports all kinds of animal species and forests. The diverse flora and fauna of Rajasthan has made it a popular tourist destination.
Flora of Arunachal Pradesh
Flora of Arunachal Pradesh includes infinite species and is a subject of great interests for the botanists.
Flora and Fauna of Manipur
Flora and fauna of Manipur are known to be the assemblage of a huge variety including the endangered ones. The place is especially famed for orchid species which includes the most vibrant and beautiful ones of the world.