Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary
Tucked away in the North East of India, Eaglenest Wild Life Santuary is located in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. It has an area of 218 km2. The altitueds varies from 500m tp 3.200mtrs. It was declared in 1989 as a Wild Life Sanctuary and is approximately 40kms east of Bhutan boarder
This Wild Life Sanctaury offers premium birding. The Arunachal Pradesh is is beyond the 'Inner Line', so foreigners require a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) to enter. This normally allows for a 10-day visit on specified permissible itineraries (one of which includes the sanctuaries). Groups comprising at least four persons are issued with RAPs quickest. RAPs are technically free at the point of issue, however a 'royalty' must be paid to the state government of $50 per visit.
Due to its location the Eaglenest Wild Life Sanctuary is accessible also during the monsoons.
Apart from the lush green and abundant vegetation, some of the animals seen in this area are: elephant, goral, leopard musk deer, red panda, samber deertakin, serow, tiger etc.
As it is a magnificiant birding area different species of birds are found here. Some of them are:
Ashy Wood-pigeon, Bay Woodpecker, Beautiful Nuthatch, Beavan's Bullfinch, Black-faced Laughing-thrush, Broad-billed Warblers, Brown-throated Fulvetta Brown Bullfinch, Brown-throated Treecreeper, Common Green Magpie, Common Hill-partridge, Coral-billed Scimitar-babbler, Eye-browed Thrush, Golden Babbler, Golden Bush-robin, Grey-cheeked Warbler , Grey-chinned Minivet, Grey-headed Parrotbill Little Forktail, Pied Falconet, Pale-headed Woodpecker, Red-headed Trogon, Rufous-bellied Hawk-eagle, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Rufous-bellied Bulbul, Rufous-breasted Bush-robin, Rufous-throated Wren-babbler, Scaly Laughing-thrush, Slaty-backed Forktail, Sultan Tit, Temminck's Tragopan, Wallcreeper, Ward's Trogons White-browed Shortwing White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker etc.
Best time to Travel : October to April.
Airport : The nearest airport is Tezpur which has a biweekly Indian Airlines flight to Kolkata. From Tezpur one can easily reach the sanctuary.
Railhead : The nearest railway head is at Bhalukpong. From here one can take a bus or hire a taxi to reach the sanctuary.
Road Transport : The Sanctuary is connected by the Tawang – Tezpur road. There is regular bus and taxi service between Twang / Itanagar and Tenga (Bomdilla).
Accommodation is available at PWD Inspection Bunglows at Dedza (Jamiri) and Tenga.
