Location: 35 km from Tezpur, Sonitpur districtArea: 200 sq km
Highlights: Four species of Hornbill
Best Time To Visit: November to March
Around 35 km from the city of Tezpur, at the foothills of the eastern Himalayas, is situated one of the most exquisite park of Assam - Nameri National Park. Covering a total area of about 200 sq km, it is considered to be one of the richest as well as the most threatened reservoirs of the plant and the animal kingdom. The park was originally set up as Nameri Wildlife Sanctuary, on 18th September 1985, and was actually a part of the Naduar Forest Reserve. Later, it was officially declared as a National Park, on 15th November 1998, after an additional area 75 sq km were added to it.
Around 600 species of plant life can be found in the tropical evergreen, semi- evergreen, and moist deciduous forests of Assam. The flora collection in the sanctuary includes the Bombax ceiba, Dalbergia sisoo, Amoora wallichii, and Castanopsis indica. Nameri National Park is the second tiger reserve of Assam and is also important for the conservation of elephants, apart from the 30 species of mammals recorded in this area. The rich animal collection involves tiger, black bear, leopard, clouded leopard, Indian bison, Pangolin, Indian wild dog and the Civet Cat.
A wide variety of avian life is also seen in the park, including the White-winged Wood Duck, Ibisbill, Long-billed Plover, Silver-backed Needletail and the four species of Hornbill, for which the park is especially famous. The favorite activities or the major attractions of Nameri National Park includes river rafting, which is a very popular way to enjoy one’s time at the park and catch a glimpse of the unique species of birds found here. Trekking and angling are also organized during season. The park enjoys good connectivity with all the major parts of Assam, so commuting to this place is quite easy.
