Arunachal : Male elephant spotted at Namdapha National Park after 12 years

Itanagar: In a major breakthrough for wildlife conservation, Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh recorded the first sighting of an adult male elephant in over a decade.

The rare sighting, captured on January 13, 2025, by a strategically placed camera trap, marks a significant achievement in the park’s ongoing biodiversity protection efforts.

A 2022 Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) report had noted the absence of elephants in the park, citing factors such as hunting by local tribes and the potential market demand for elephants in surrounding areas.

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Although elephants have occasionally passed through the park during the monsoon season, the challenging terrain and unpredictable weather have made consistent monitoring difficult.

This milestone sighting is attributed to the hard work of the conservation team led by V.K. Jawal, Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of Namdapha National Park, and Biri Karba, Range Forest Officer of the Namdapha Wildlife Range and Research Wing.

Their efforts have provided valuable insights into the elephant’s movements, confirming that the park is an important route for elephant migration.

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In response to this discovery, park authorities have intensified patrols, particularly in the Kathan region in the northwest, to safeguard the elephant’s habitat.

The sighting underscores the need for continued conservation initiatives and represents a hopeful step toward preserving the park’s rich ecosystem.