Biodiversity

The South Garo Hills are tremendously rich in natural diversity, offering tremendous opportunities to experience breathtaking flora and fauna.

Mammals of South Garo Hills

Amongst the large mammals, the Balpakram Baghmara Landscape (BBL) is home to a large Asian Elephant population estimated close to 900 elephants inhabit in BBL. Among the large cats tigers and leopards co-exist with lesser cats including the Civets and the Leopard cat. India’s only ape the Hoolock Gibbons are common in the landscape, with their whoops ringing throughout the forest. Assamese macaque and Stump-tailed macaque can also rarely seen through BBL.

Asian Elephant, estimated close to 900 individuals inhabit in this landscape.
Photography by Rohan Mukerjee

Western Hoolock Gibbon, only apes found in India.
Photography by Dr. A Christy Williams

Malayan Gaint Squirrel. Photography by Rohan Mukerjee

Spectacular Avifauna of South Garo Hills

The Balpakram Baghmara Landscape is classified as one of Meghalaya's Important Bird Area the Indian Bird Conservation Network: Bombay Natural History Society and Birdlife International (UK). The brief surveys conducted in the area have resulted in a checklist of 292 bird species. Some of our special sightings in the area included the Olive Bulbul Iole viriscens, Eye-browed Wren-babbler Napothera brevicaudata, Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus, Eastern-crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus (both winter visitors) and the Crested Finchbill Spizoxis canifrons. This area is also believed to be the western-most distributional limit for the endangered White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata. The only known Indian record of the Chestnut-fronted Shrike Babbler Pteruthius aenobarbus aenobarbulus, is a specimen collected by Koelz in the Garo Hills in 1954! There are probably many such interesting birds just waiting to reveal themselves.

Pygmy Wren Babbler. Photography by Sanjay Sondhi

Black Baza. Photography by Sanjay Sondhi

White Capped Water Red Star. Photography by Udayan Borthakur

Butterflies of South Garo Hills

The butterfly diversity of the area is amazing. Brief surveys have resulted in a checklist of close to 340 butterfly species.(Paper on butterflies of Garo Hills: Butterflies of the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, northeastern India: their diversity and conservation). Mud pudding swallowtails abound with numerous Swordtails (Sot, Four-bar and Five-bar Swordtails), Zebras (Great and Lesser Zebra) and Jays (Common, Tailed and Great Jay). Amongst the Nymphalids, the spectacular Rajas are common (Tawny, Variegated and Black Rajah). Sightings of uncommon species such as the Kohinoor, Marbled Map, Peal’s Palmfly, Common and Large Faun are not unusual. Hesperids whiz about everywhere, defying you to identify them. A week’s visit in the right season will reveal 150 to 200 butterfly species. 

Yellow Flat. Photograph by Rohan Lovakekar

Kohinoor. Photograph by Gaurav Agavekar

Silver Royal. Photograph by Gaurav Agavekar

This region is also home to over 60 species of snakes and amphibians. With regard to flora spectacular plants like the insectivorous Pitcher Plant and Sundews abound as do orchids such as Meghalaya’s State Plant the Lady’s Slipper Orchid. 

Pitcher Plant, the insectivorous endemic plant to this region
Photography by Samraksahnn Trust