The rich wildlife in Northeast India is considered the most diverse in India. You get to witness predators like the Bengal tiger, common leopard, clouded leopard, snow leopard (in the trans-Himalayan region of Arunachal Pradesh), and many more. Not just predators but also giants wander in the area, such as the Asian elephant, greater one-horned rhino, water buffalo, etc. Wait, if you think northeast India is not exciting enough… then be ready to witness reptile attractions also, which include the Indian python, cobra, king cobra, viper, krait, and other common snakes and amphibians.
With so much diversity of wildlife in Northeast India, you will feel a constant excitement and thrill on your safari tours or walking expeditions. Today, we are going to discuss the top five wildlife species in Northeast India, which are the top attractions for tourists, wildlife enthusiasts, and photographers all around the world.
01. The Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)
These magnificent giants might look intimidating with their huge bodies, tough skin, and horns, but ironically, they are mostly calm and shy. Indian One-horned rhinoceros have poor eyesight, which means they see any unknown movement as a threat; that’s why most of the time they charge at humans if they are walking.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Status
IUCN Red List – Vulnerable
Sadly, the greater one-horned rhinoceros remains threatened due to habitat shift and poaching. But the joint efforts of government and conservationists have delivered remarkable recoveries in India and Nepal.
Where can you find Indian rhinoceros?
In Northeast India, Assam is the top choice for spotting Indian rhinoceros. You will get the best chances of sighting the Indian rhinoceros in their natural habitat in Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve. Apart from Kaziranga, rhinos are also sighted in Manas National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Orang, in Assam, and Jaldapra in West Bengal. Small populations of rhinos also exist in other pockets of Northeastern India and in transboundary habitats with Nepal and Bhutan.
Population of Indian Rhinoceros in India & in Individual Areas
Recent counts in the region put the entire population of India and Nepal at about 4,000. India is thought to have roughly around 3,300 Indian rhinoceros, and Assam has the most of them (about 2,900 in Assam alone in recent counts). Kaziranga is the most important place to see them in the wild.
Best Season to Visit and Sighting Difficulty
Since the Indian rhinoceros is big and often lives in grassland-floodplain mosaics and shallow wetlands, that is why they are not too hard to locate. Kaziranga and Pobitora are two of the best areas to see Indian rhinos on jeep or elephant safaris.
November through April is the dry season and cooler months. During the monsoon season (June to September), a lot of habitats flood, and animals either shift to higher ground or spread out. This makes it hard to travel and see animals, and flooding can make it harder for animals to survive in poor years.
02. Red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
Red pandas are some of the cutest animals in the world. They are small in size and like to stay on trees to avoid predators. They may appear adorable and harmless, but if they are threatened, they use their sharp claws to protect themselves from danger.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Status
IUCN Red List – Endangered
Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as poaching and conflict with the domestic or feral dogs, red pandas are listed as ‘Endangered.’
Where can you find Red Panda?
Finding red pandas in India is not easy, but you get the best chances in Sikkim, Darjeeling & Kalimpong (West Bengal), and parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Khangchendzonga National Park (in Sikkim) and some protected forest areas will increase your chances of seeing a red panda.
Population of Red Pandas in India & in Individual Areas
Red pandas are shy and arboreal, which is why it is hard to keep track of the exact population count. However, the population of red pandas is roughly around 2500 in India, but this number can vary to local findings.
(source – About Red Panda)
Best Season to Visit and Sighting Difficulty
Red pandas are shy and dwell in deep temperate woods with a lot of bamboo at mid to high- altitude. Without your persistence, silent searching, and occasionally the help of local trackers, sightings of red pandas in nature are rare.
Red pandas are most active from late fall to early spring (October to March/April). The bamboo understory’s seasonal cycles and cooler, clearer weather make it somewhat simpler to identify; the optimum times are early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
03. Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock)
A fun fact about the hoolock gibbon is that it is the only ape in India. They are considered the fastest animal on tree branches, and also both males and females have different appearances, where male hoolock gibbons have black fur and female hoolock gibbons have blonde-colored fur.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Status
IUCN Red List – Endangered
In western parts and some nearby regions, populations are particularly threatened because of habitat fragmentation, logging, and hunting.
Where can you find Hoolock Gibbon?
The best chances to spot hoolock gibbons are in Assam, especially in Kaziranga National Park and Gibbon Sanctuary (Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary). You can also get chance to spot the hoolock gibbon in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and some other nearby protected forests.
Population of Hoolock in India & in Individual Areas
There is no research conducted on the population of hoolock gibbons in India, but that will not change your safari experience for spotting hoolock gibbons.
Best Season to Visit and Sighting Difficulty
In my opinion, spotting hoolock gibbons is simple to moderate. I have visited the Gibbon Sanctuary and Kaziranga National Park multiple times, and I have always had a wonderful safari experience and sighting every time.
Planning your safari expedition from November to March is the best time of the year because you will have clear mornings and higher chances of spotting hoolock gibbons.
04. Wild water buffalo or Asiatic wild buffalo (Bubalus arnee)
Another magnificent giant among our wildlife in northeast India is the wild water buffalo. They have huge horns and massive bodies. Females can weigh up to 250-800 kg, whereas an adult male weighs around 700 to 1200 kg.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Status
IUCN Red List – Endangered
There are just a few thousand mature Asiatic wild buffalo in the world (fewer than 4000 mature individuals), and most of them live in India. They are marked as ‘Endangered’ due to the threats that include crossbreeding with domestic buffaloes, loss of habitat, disease spread, and changing wetlands into other types of land.
Where can you find Wild Water buffalo?
You get the best chances of spotting wild water buffalo in northeast India, and that too in Assam and nearby national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. India proudly has around 90% of the global wildlife population and focuses on protecting initiatives.
Population of Hoolock in India & in Individual Areas
India holds around 90% of the wild population of wild water buffaloes around the world. With an estimated number of around 3200 to 3800 species.
Best Season to Visit and Sighting Difficulty
Sighting a wild water buffalo is easy. They are seen in herds and are huge size; also, they like to spend time in open marshes and floodplain grasslands, so in reserves like Kaziranga and Manas, they are often spotted by tourists during their jeep safari, especially in the dry season.
Going for your safari in the dry seasons, when grassland visibility is good, and water levels recede, is the best time to spot wild water buffalo.
05. Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)
These predators are nocturnal and extremely elusive in nature. They are expert climbers and can even hang upside down from a tree branch. They got their name ‘clouded leopard’ because their beautiful coat has large cloud-shaped markings
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Status
IUCN Red List – Vulnerable
The clouded leopard lives in forests and is very secretive. Their territory in Southeast Asia and Northeast India has been small, and small, isolated populations and habitat fragmentation make it challenging to study them and to come up with a conservation plan.
Where can you find Clouded leopard?
There is proof from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam (particularly Manas and Dehing-Patkai), Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and northern West Bengal in the form of records and camera traps placed by conservationists. These cats like thick forests, which are commonly found on hills and along forest corridors. Recent camera trap investigations and ecological modeling have found areas in the region that are very good for clouded leopards and provide better study results.
Population of Clouded Leopard in India & in Individual Areas
Unfortunately, there is no accurate count of clouded leopards around the world; however, estimates for the population worldwide are fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, and India holds only a small fraction of the population.
Best Season to Visit and Sighting Difficulty
Clouded leopards are elusive and nocturnal and rarely seen by visitors. Most of the knowledge and sightings come from camera traps or are seen by professional trackers. So if you are a wildlife enthusiast and determined to spot a clouded leopard, then I suggest being persistent and taking a specialist with you.
As we have discussed above, sighting a clouded leopard is really difficult, and due to the absence of data, there is no guaranteed ‘best season’ for the sighting.
