Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary

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Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary
NWS
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
India relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya, India
Nearest city Shillong and Guwahati
Coordinates 25°56′16.44″N91°47′15″E / 25.9379000°N 91.78750°E / 25.9379000; 91.78750 25° 56′ 16.44″ N, 91° 47′ 15″ E
Area29 km (18 miles)
Max. elevation950m
Min. elevation200m
Established1981

Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary is a IUCN Category IV protected areas located in Meghalaya, India. It covers 29 square kilometers in Ri-Bhoi district. It was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1981.

Contents

History

The sanctuary was first created by the colonial British administration as 'Nongkhyllem Reserved Forest' in July 1909. The area was expanded by consequent notifications in 1913, 1933, and 1939. The eastern part of the reserve was converted into the 'Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary' in 1981 measuring 29 sq. km. The remaining part of the reserved forest was maintained as such. [1] The latter consists of the Nongkhyllem Reserve Forest (9691 ha) and a portion of community-managed forest (2300 ha) which was acquired by the Meghalaya state government. [2]

Initially, the conservation efforts focused on mithun and clouded leopard. [3]

An Eco-Sensitive Zone was declared around the sanctuary by the India's Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change in 2017. [3] In 2021 it was rated the best protected areas in Northeast India out of 16, by a report on Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) on national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India. [4] One of the reasons give was its continuity of a management plan since 2001 irrespective of the people posted there. The other reason was significant reduction in biotic interference due to community support. [5]

Geography

The sanctuary comprises of several hills and valleys with numerous streams passing through them. The area ranges from 200 meters to 800 meters and the highest point is Mawkyndah with an altitude of 965 meters.

Geology

Meghalaya is part of an Archean plateau with undulating tablelands. [6]

Hydrology

The streams from the sanctuary join the rivers Umtrew, Umtasor, and Umsaw.

Climate

The sanctuary has a tropical monsoon climate with temperature ranging from 6°C to 32°C and average annual rainfall about 2000-3000mm. [7]

Biology

The sanctuary’s minimal biotic interaction is a positive factor for its biodiversity. [3]

Flora

The sanctuary consists of mainly tropical moist deciduous forest, with parts of it being tropical semi-evergreen forest, montane grasslands, and large stretches of bamboo grooves. [7]

Naturally growing trees of economic importance consists of, terminalia bellirica, terminalia chebula, albizia lebbeck, adina cordifolia, schima wallichii, shorea robusta, anthoshorea assamica, aesculus assamica, aporosa wallichii, cryptocarya andersonii, lagerstroemia parviflora, bridelia retusa, magnolia hodgsonii, and gmelina arborea. [8] The forest department has created plantations of sal and teak in some parts. [7]

Fauna

There are at least 50 known species of mammals and 25 species of reptiles in the sanctuary. 30 of these mammals species are on the Schedule 1 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. [9] There are over 400 noted species of birds, including the endangered rufous-necked hornbill. [10] [11] At least 39 species of fishes have been documented in recent times. The sanctuary and its adjacent areas are ideal habitat for the endangered Himalayan mahseer, schistura sijuensis, clarias magur, and Pillaia indica. [7]

The large mammals that live here include, the Asian elephant, tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, leopard cat, jungle cat, fishing cat, dhole, Himalayan black bear, sloth bear, Hoolock gibbon, slow loris, capped langur, rhesus macaque, sambar deer, muntjac, gaur, binturong, and black giant squirrel. Wild boar, civets, and mongoose, are also found in the sanctuary. [7]

The sanctuary and the reserve forest are surrounded by community-managed forests and wooded betel leaf farms. These collectively support the avian diversity and habitat. In addition, the agricultural woodlands supported more avian species than the protected areas. [12]

In 2021 researchers found the Disk-footed bat for the first time in the Lailad area near the sanctuary. This was almost 1000km from the nearest known habitat in Myanmar. It is one of at least 66 species of bats found in the state. [13] A new species of bamboo-dwelling bat, found near the sanctuary, was classified as Glischropus meghalayanus in 2022. It was the first reported dwelling of the thick-thumbed bat in South Asia. [14]

In 2024 researchers from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment found the dung beetle species Onitis bordati in the sanctuary for the first time expanding its known range from Vietnam and Thailand. [15] [16]

Management

The Meghalaya government manages the sanctuary under the Meghalaya Forest Regulation (Assam Regulation 7 of 1891 adopted by Meghalaya). [7]

Recreation

There are no official figures for the annual visitors to the sanctuary. However, people from neighbouring villages often visit the area as its stewards.

The NH6 is located on the eastern side of the reserved forest. It has been developed into a four-lane highway since 2016. The nearest town is Nongpoh, but the sanctuary is well connected to Shillong and Guwahati. [17] While travelling from Shillong, which is 80km away, the sanctuary can be accssed through the forest beat offices at Adit point, Umtasor and Lailad. From the NH6, the sanctuary can reached through Umling, and then 17km along the Umling-Patharkhmah road to reach Lailad. [7] Meghalaya's SH3, which runs through the Eastern West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts, is on the western side of the reserved forest. It was converted into two-lane road in 2020. [17]

Eco-tourism project

In 2025 the Government of Meghalaya proposed an eco-tourism infrastructure project, valued at approximately Rs 23.60 crore, within the wildlife sanctuary. The project designed by E-factor Experiences, based in Noida, proposed to create a chalet-styled resort, interpretation centre, canopy-based skywalks, and water sports zone. [11]

Seven village around the sanctuary have also opposed the project due to lack of community consultation and obvious threat to the ecosystem. The village councils, Rangbah Shnong, issued a joint statement against the project. [18] Meghalaya-based organisation, The Green-Tech Foundation, also strongly opposed the project. [3] The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) also called for the project to be scrapped. [10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Gazette of India: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notification. S.O. 1816 (PDF). New Delhi: Government of India. 7 June 2017.
  2. ↑ "BirdLife DataZone". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Meghalaya's Green-Tech Foundation opposes tourism project in Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary". Northeast News. 18 April 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  4. ↑ Laitphlang, David (19 January 2021). "Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in Meghalaya is Northeast's best protected area". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  5. ↑ "Many Northeast wildlife habitats understaffed, says report". The Hindu. 31 January 2021. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  6. ↑ Choudhury, Anwaruddin (2006). "The Distribution and Status of Hoolock Gibbon, Hoolock hoolock, in Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland in Northeast India". Primate Conservation. 20: 79–87. doi:10.1896/0898-6207.20.1.79. ISSN   0898-6207.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Khynriam, Dimos; Sen, Nibedita (1 December 2016). "Taxonomic Studies on the Ichthyofauna of Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary and its Adjacent Areas, Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya". Records of the Zoological Survey of India: 445–476. doi:10.26515/rzsi/v116/i4/2016/117831. ISSN   2581-8686.
  8. ↑ Parkash, Vipin (11 October 2021). "Floristic and ethnic perspective on wild forest plant species of Nongkhyllem Reserve Forest, Nongpoh, Meghalaya, India". Asian Journal of Ethnobiology. 4 (2). doi:10.13057/asianjethnobiol/y040204. ISSN   2580-4510.
  9. ↑ "Green-Tech Foundation makes visit to Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary". The Shillong Times . 23 April 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  10. 1 2 "Meghalaya group opposes ecotourism project in wildlife sanctuary". The Hindu. 10 May 2025. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  11. 1 2 Editorial (17 April 2025). "Of Ecotourism". Highland Post. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  12. ↑ Perinchery, Aathira (18 August 2018). "Meghalayan farms are also bird habitats". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  13. ↑ Karmakar, Rahul (18 April 2021). "Meghalaya records India's first bat with sticky disks". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  14. ↑ Singh, Shiv Sahay (15 June 2022). "New species of bamboo-dwelling bat found in Meghalaya". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  15. ↑ "New Dung Beetle Species Discovered In Meghalaya's Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary". Northeast Today. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  16. ↑ Karimbumkara, Seena Narayanan; Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan (10 September 2024). "Study on the genus Onitis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) of the Indian Subcontinent, with three new species from India". European Journal of Taxonomy. 956: 1–61. doi:10.5852/ejt.2024.956.2657. ISSN   2118-9773.
  17. 1 2 Haorangbam, Arundeep Singha; Pachuau, Laldingliani; Singh Bisht, Madho (2023). "Impacts, Perception and Attitude of the Fringe Population towards Wildlife of Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary–Reserved Forest, Meghalaya, Northeast India". Journal of Himalayan Ecology and Sustainable Development. 18: 158–176. ISSN   0973-7502.
  18. ↑ Gupta, Somashis (25 April 2025). "Villagers Cry Foul Over Eco-Tourism Project at Nongkhyllem". East India Story. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
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