Balpakram National Park

It is positioned near the Garo hills of Meghalaya, India. The hilly regions of the park can be seen covered with vegetations. Balpakram National Park covers an area of about 220 square kilometres. It lies towards the southern part of the Garo hills. This park shows an enchanting connection between nature and the wild.

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Geographical landscape of the national park

The geographical location is 25?25?N and 90?52?E. Balpakram national park is one of the two national parks found in this state, the other one being Nokrek National park. The hilly terrain of the Garo hills provides an excellent place for the diversification of wildlife and vegetation. The park lies at an altitude of 3000ft. Above sea level. The balpakram plateau and nearby forest area lie within the boundaries of the national park. There are several mysterious caves located within the park, often associated with different myths.

The area receives heavy rainfall in the monsoon season with average precipitation of about 6000mm. The average summer temperature varies up to 45-degree centigrade whereas the average winter temperature is approximately 6-degree centigrade. The overall climatic condition is moderate, and the pleasant breeze adds positivity to the atmosphere of the national park. While the summer can be mildly warm, the winter is severe.

Since the most critical part of a visit to a national park, is the animals residing there, a trip must be planned accordingly. The animals sometimes may not show up due to the weather conditions prevailing at that time. So, the ideal time of visit varies from October to May. This period is suitable as there is no rainfall during these months. Rainy season is mostly avoided since the animals don?t show up.

The park is well known for different mammals and reptiles that inhabit there. These creatures have been mentioned as endangered by IUCN. One of the main animals which top the list is the fluffy red panda. Other animals like pig-tailed macaque, sambar, barking deer, slow Loris, pangolin, flying squirrel, wild water buffalo, Asian elephants, Indian bison, golden cat, tiger, clouded leopard, serow, hoolock gibbon, black bear and the rare stump-tailed. Reptiles like the king cobra, python, viper, gecko, mountain lizard and kraits can be spotted easily.

Flocks of different birds can be seen. The group includes common hornbill, peacock, oriole, grey-peacock, white-throated bulbul, mountain bamboo Patridge, Indian roller and the great hornbill.

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The natural vegetation or flora

The frolic ambience of Balpakram National Park includes the various medicinal plants. People can find endemic plant species. Some of these are the sundew plant and the pitcher plant. The rare and useful medicinal herbs are called dikges.