Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary

Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Location in Mizoram, India
Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary (India)
Interactive map of Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary
LocationLawngtlai district, Mizoram, India
Nearest cityLawngtlai
Coordinates22°25′N 92°20′E / 22.417°N 92.333°E / 22.417; 92.333
Area110 km2 (42 sq mi)
Established1991
Governing bodyForest Department, Government of Mizoram

Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in the Lawngtlai district in the Indian state of Mizoram. The sanctuary covers about 110 km2 of largely undisturbed subtropical and semi-evergreen forest and lies near the borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. Elevation in the sanctuary ranges from roughly 120–1,200 m above sea level depending on the source.[1][2][3]

History

Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary was officially constituted as a protected area by the Government of Mizoram through Notification No. B.12012/4/91-FST, issued under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The notification legally declared approximately 110 km2 of forest in southern Mizoram as a wildlife sanctuary, forming part of the state's protected area network.[4][5][3]

Geography and habitat

Ngengpui lies in south-west Mizoram. Vegetation types include sub-tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests with valley and montane forest communities; bamboo and dipterocarp elements are also reported in parts of the sanctuary. The Ngengpui River (from which the sanctuary takes its name) flows through parts of the protected area.[1][2]

Flora and fauna

Ngengpui supports a diversity of mammals, birds and herpetofauna typical of the Indo-Myanmar region. Fauna include gaur (Indian bison), sambar, barking deer, clouded leopard and several primate species. The sanctuary is also important for birdlife, including Bhutan peacock-pheasants, White-cheeked partridges, and Great Indian hornbills.[1][6]

The sanctuary also has a small population of Indian elephant.[7]

Recent taxonomic and news reports have noted the discovery of several new bent-toed gecko lineages in northeastern India; one lineage is reported from Ngengpui (referred to as the "Ngengpui" or "Nengpui" bent-toed gecko in coverage), underlining the sanctuary's herpetological importance.[8][9] The sanctuary also houses the rare toad Bufoides meghalayanus.[10] Another rare species found is Rohanixalus senapatiensis, commonly known as Senapti's tree frog.[11][12]

Threats

Threats commonly reported for protected areas in the region — and noted in regional biodiversity discussion — include shifting cultivation in surrounding areas, human-wildlife conflict (notably with elephants), and pressures from resource extraction and habitat fragmentation; continued monitoring and engagement with local communities has been recommended.[2][6]

Access and tourism

Ngengpui is mentioned in state tourism material and travel writing as a destination for wildlife viewing and birding; visitors should coordinate with Mizoram Forest Department offices and local authorities for permissions and guidance. The drier months (roughly October–April) are commonly listed as the preferred visiting season.[13][14]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary". Environment, Forests & Climate Change Department, Government of Mizoram. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Places of Interest". Lawngtlai District Administration. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Protected Area Gazette Notification Database (Mizoram)". Wildlife Institute of India - ENVIS. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  4. ^ "Protected Areas of Mizoram – Gazette Notifications". Environment, Forests & Climate Change Department, Government of Mizoram. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  5. ^ "Gazette of Mizoram – Forest & Wildlife Notifications" (PDF). Government of Mizoram. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  6. ^ a b "10 Most famous Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks In Mizoram". PratidinTime. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  7. ^ Choudhury, A.U. (2001) The wild elephant Elephas maximus in Mizoram. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 98(3): 439–441
  8. ^ "Six new species of Bent-Toed Geckos discovered in Northeastern India". EastMojo. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  9. ^ "Scientists discover six new lineages of bent-toed geckos from the Northeast". Down To Earth. 1 August 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  10. ^ "New toad species, Bufoides bhupathyi, found in Mizoram". NorthEast Live. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  11. ^ "Rohanixalus senapatiensis (Mathew and Sen, 2009) | Amphibian Species of the World". amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  12. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2023). "Senapti's Tree Frog: Rohanixalus senapatiensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023 e.T202881A2757582. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T202881A2757582.en. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  13. ^ "Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary". Mizoram Tourism. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Into the wild". India Today. 7 February 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
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