Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary

Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary
Location in Meghalaya, India
Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary (India)
LocationEast Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya, India
Nearest cityJowai
Coordinates25°06′19″N 92°26′17″E / 25.105389°N 92.437997°E / 25.105389; 92.437997
Area59.90 km2 (23.13 sq mi)
Established10 June 2014[1]
Governing bodyForest & Environment Department, Government of Meghalaya

Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in the East Jaintia Hills district of the Indian state of Meghalaya. Notified in 2014, it protects a significant tract of semi-evergreen and evergreen forest in the Jaintia Hills and is important for several threatened species found in north-east India.[2][3]

Geography

Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary covers approximately 59.90 km² and lies in the southern part of the Jaintia Hills landscape. The sanctuary contains hilly terrain with evergreen and semi-evergreen forest types and perennial streams that form important catchments for local rivers.[2] The sanctuary boundary and the official eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) are described in the Government of India notification for the ESZ; the ESZ around Narpuh extends beyond the sanctuary and covers a broader area as per the notification.[3]

Biodiversity

The sanctuary is noted for its floral diversity and for fauna typical of the north-eastern hill forests. Species reported from the sanctuary and surrounding landscape include primates such as the western hoolock gibbon, sambar, barking deer, and a rich bird assemblage including hornbills and other forest birds.[4]

Conservation and threats

Regional media and local conservation commentary have reported threats such as illegal logging, shifting cultivation and pressure from nearby settlements.[5]

It was rated as "Good" in the Wildlife Institute of India's Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) 2020-25 report.[6]

See Also

References

  1. ^ "Letters to the EditorThe Shillong Times". The Shillong Times. 23 September 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Protected Areas – Meghalaya". Meghalaya Biodiversity Board. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Notification: Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary Eco-sensitive Zone" (PDF). Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Government of India). Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary". eMeghalaya. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  5. ^ "Dire need to save Narpuh". The Shillong Times. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  6. ^ Network, Hub (28 June 2025). "Protected areas in Meghalaya rated "good" by WII". Hub News. Retrieved 2 December 2025.