Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary Dibrugarh

The only rainforest in Assam, Dehing Patkai is located partly in Dibrugarh and partly in Tinsukia district. It is spread over an area of 111.19 sq. km and belongs to Assam’s wet tropical evergreen forest category.

The Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary has three parts and they are Dirok rainforest, upper Dihing River, and Jeypore. It got the sanctuary status in the year 2004. It also happens to be a part of the Dehing-Patkai Elephant Reserve. Apart from wild animals, there is a lot to see here around this place. World War II cemeteries, Digboi Oil Refinery (the oldest in the country), and the Stillwell Road are also located in the close proximity here.

A part of the Dehing Patkai Rainforest is the sanctuary and a part of its falls under another elephant reserve named Dibru-Deomali. The forest which is also sometimes known as the Amazon of the east; stretches beyond Assam and into the Changlang and Tirap districts of Arunachal Pradesh. It is a four-layered rainforest and so you can imagine the variety of plants that you can find here. Many exotic species of orchids grow here and there is abundant ferns, wild banana, and much more. There are at least 293 species of bird in this forest and the number increases during the winter, when migratory birds from Russia and elsewhere make Assam their home. Dehing-Patkai is a virgin rainforest and is rich in biodiversity. It is home to 47 species of mammals, 30 species of butterflies, and 47 species of reptiles. Some of the mammals that you can easily spot here are pig-tailed macaque, hoolock gibbon, capped langur, Asiatic elephant, black panther, tiger, black bear, leopard, clouded leopard, squirrel, and gaur to name only a few.

Popular Things to See in and Around

The Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is a complete tourist destination all by itself. It takes several hours to explore the forest which is full of wide varieties of animals and plants. It is a paradise for wildlife lovers, especially the birdwatchers.