Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary is named after the Mehao Lake in Arunachal Pradesh. It is one of the most popular wildlife sanctuaries of the state. Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Lower Dibang Valley District, and extended at an altitude ranging from 400 meters to 3568 meters above sea level. It is the abode of several species of flora and fauna including the endangered ones. Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary was created in 1980.
Climate of Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary
Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary experiences subtropical type of climate. The temperature is ranging from freezing point during winter to the maximum of 30 degree Celsius in the summer. The sanctuary receives 2500 millimeters of average rainfall annually. Most of the precipitation is from the southwest monsoon during the months of July to September and higher areas are snowbound in winter.
Settlements near Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary
The Idu Mishmi Tribe and the Adi Tribe are the main tribal communities residing around the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary. The Idu Mishmi Tribal people are Tibeto-Burmese in origin, and follow animism. Adi Tribe typically inhabits the areas in the lowlands from Shantipur District to Roing while the Idu Mishmi Tribe dominates the area from foothills onward. There is a large Nepali population in the area. Most of them are the cultivators. There are numerous Idu Mishmi tribal villages along the park boundary. These villages are the Koronu, Injuno, Abango, Balek, Kanu and Mayudia. People living especially around the southern boundary of the park practise the Jhum Cultivation. They are maintaining the orchards.
Flora of Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary
Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary is home to diverse habitats. The tropical wet evergreen forests occur in the low elevations. Trees such as Terminalia myriocarpa, Altingia excelsa, several Albizzia species, Duabanga grandiflora, Dillenia indica, Mesua ferrea and several other species dominate these. The low elevation bamboo species include Phyllostachys bambusoides, Dendrocalamus giganteus and Bambusa pallida. The subtropical broadleaved forests are found higher up, with tree genera like Quercus, Castanopsis and Michelia dominating the forests. The temperate forests and coniferous forests occur even higher up; the common conifer species are Pinus roxburghii and Taxus baccata. The highest elevations of the sanctuary have subalpine moist scrub. Mishmi Teeta, a highly valued medicinal plant, is also known to occur in Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary.
Fauna of Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary
Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary houses about 60 species of mammals and several other animal species. The carnivores recorded from Mehao include clouded leopard, marbled cat, wild dog, spotted linsang, Himalayan Black Bear and Red Panda. Snow leopard is said to be a winter visitor to the sanctuary. The herbivores include serow, goral, sambar and gaur. Takin is also found in the higher reaches of the sanctuary. There are many amphibians and reptiles present in this sanctuary. Some of the snake species found in Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary includes Indian Cobra and Banded Krait.
Avifauna of Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary
About 175 bird species have been listed from Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary. The important bird species include Purple Wood-pigeon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Blyth`s Tragopan and the rare and enigmatic Wedge-billed Wren-babbler.
Visiting Information on Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary
The best time to visit the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary is from October to March. It can be accessed from Roing town and from the Abango village. Roing is well connected to all major parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Roing can be reached by a cab or Arunachal Pradesh State Transport (APSTC) bus via National Highway 15 and 115. From Roing, it requires a vehicle to reach the sanctuary.
Visiting Information on Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary
The best time to visit the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary is from October to March. It can be accessed from Roing town and from the Abango village. Roing is well connected to all major parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Roing can be reached by a cab or Arunachal Pradesh State Transport (APSTC) bus via National Highway 15 and 115. From Roing, it requires a vehicle to reach the sanctuary.