Location Located in the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh in India.
Best Season Birds November-May. More birdsong in April-May but fewer winter birds.
Butterflies / herps monsoon, especially May and October.
One of the most sought after wildlife sanctuaries in India is the Eagle’s Nest Wildlife Sanctuary. It is in Arunachal Pradesh and is a very famous place. It has thousands of tourists visiting it every year. The park is place for those people who want to spend a peaceful and a quiet vacation amongst nature. The place is very quiet and is surrounded by flora and fauna on all sides. The sanctuary is situated in the west Kameng District. The sanctuary has some of the finest species of animals that one could ever find. One will definitely be mesmerized by the beauty of the surroundings of the sanctuary. The area of the park is around two hundred and seventeen kilometers. The entire park is surrounded greenery and has lush grasslands. You will love the beauty of the place.
History: the park got its name from the Red Eagle Division of the Indian Army that was posted there in the year 1950, hence the name Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary. During the year 1989 the sanctuary was declared as an area that needed protection.
Weather and Best time to visit: the best time to visit this sanctuary is from October to May, the weather remains pleasant. Since the sanctuary has subtropical climate it receive plenty of rain from the southwest monsoon in the month of April. The sanctuary even receives snow in the peak winter months. The temperatures become as low as zero degrees. The ridges that are present here get around 3000mm of rainfall on the southern side and around 1500mm on the northern slope. Hence the best time to visit the sanctuary is in the months from October to April.
By Air: Tezpur is the closest airport to the sanctuary. Air Indian has biweekly flights to the destination from Kolkata. Tezpur is easily accessible to the sanctuary by air.
By Rail: Bhalukpong is the nearest railway station to the sanctuary. Taxis and buses are easily available from the railway station to reach the sanctuary.
By Road: the Twang – Tezpur road connects to the sanctuary directly. There are bus services and taxis on the way to the sanctuary from Tawang, Itanagar and Tenga.
Fauna: The Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for the different species of birds that are found here. There are thousands of different species of birds that one can see here in the sanctuary. Some birds are migratory while the sanctuary is a permanent home to a few of them. There are about 454 different species of birds here. The Tragopan species which is very unique in India are seen in this sanctuary. Birds like the hornbill, ducks, Black stork, Oriental white ibis, ducks, hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, vultures, pheasants etc are also found here in the sanctuary.
Herpeto Fauna: The Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary is home to around 34 amphibians and around 24 different species of reptiles and lizards. It has Geckos, agamid and skinks as well. There are so many species of snakes and lizards which are not seen in the other parts of India.
Mammals: The sanctuary is home to around 15 species of mammals. The endangered capped Langur and the Bengal tiger are also found here in the sanctuary. The wild Asian elephants, which can reach to almost any height, are also found here. Different black bears, red pandas and the Arunachal Macaque are also found in the Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary.
Butterflies: The Eagle Nest Wildlife sanctuary is home to 165 different species of butterflies. The Bhutan glory, Dusky Labyrinth and the White owl are some of the rare species of Butterflies that are found here in the park.
Safaris: The park can be accessed on foot all year round. Bikes and motorcycles can also be used to see around the park. However usage of jeeps and cars is only permitted for a few months in the year and banned in the months of June till October. Since the sanctuary receives heavy rainfall during the monsoons they are usually banned so that road blocks do not happen. During the winter months in December and January the park also receives an adequate amount of snowfall.
Accommodation at affordable prices is easily available at the sanctuary. The PWD bungalows and the forest rest houses are great options to stay at. The stay is comfortable and reasonably priced. For more information on accommodation and tariffs you could get in touch with the following people.
Entry permits are needed for all Indians as well as foreign visitors. The offers at Tenga and the nearby places issue these permits. They are easily available.
The bugun tribe charges an entrée fee for Indian as well foreign tourists visiting the park. They are encouraging more and more people to trek and see the park than use vehicles as they can cause damage to the mountains. The money from the entry fee goes into maintenance of the roads and structures.