The Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1989, is the 50th Tiger reserve in India. In 2024, it was declared as a eco-sensitive zone.[2] The Sanctuary is rich with floral and faunal diversity. It is situated in the Lohit District of the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The park is named after the Kamlang River which flows through it. The Mishmi, Digaro Mishmi, and Miju Mishmi people tribal people who reside around the periphery of the sanctuary claim their descent from the King Rukmo of the epic Mahabharata. They believe in a myth of an invisible god known as Suto Phenkhenynon jamalu. An important body of water in the sanctuary is the Glow Lake. Located in tropical and sub-tropical climatic zones, the sanctuary is the habitat of the four big cat species of India: tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and snow leopard.[3][4]
Topography
The sanctuary is in the South-Eastern part of Lohit District. Established in 1989, it covers an area of 783 square kilometres (302 sq mi).[1] The Lang River forms its northern border and the Namdapha National Park is on its southern border. Wakro town in the Namsai Sub-Division is close to the sanctuary. Namsai town is 70 kilometres (43 mi) away from Wakro. The nearest rail head and airport are Tinsukia and Dibrugarh respectively.[3] It is one of the twelve protected areas in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.[4]
The park has a number of bodies of water above an elevation of 600 metres (2,000 ft). These include the Glow Lake, at an elevation of 5,000 feet (1,500 m), covering an area of 8 square kilometres (3.1 sq mi)[5] and with a circumference of about 4–5 kilometres (2.5–3.1 mi); it is accessible only by trekking. Another notable topographic feature within the park is the "Parshuram Kund" ('kund' means "pond") which is a pilgrimage place.[3]
Flora
The upper reaches of the park have Alpine vegetation, particularly on the Daphabum peak which borders the Namdapha National Park. The lower reaches (below 1,200 metres (3,900 ft)), including the foothills, have tropical wet evergreen forests. 150 tree species have been reported in the park. The main trees found in the park are Canarium resiniferum, Terminalia chebula, Gmelina arborea and Amoora wallichii. A great variety of herbs, bamboos, grasses, and shrubs are also present,[3][4] and 49 species of orchids have also been reported from the park.[6]
