Namdapha National Park: Arunachal’s Untamed Jungle of Four Big Cats

In the remote northeast corner of India, where the Eastern Himalayas meet dense tropical forests, lies Namdapha National Park—one of the country’s richest biodiversity hotspots and the pride of Arunachal Pradesh. Spread across nearly 2,000 square kilometres, this park is the largest protected area in the Eastern Himalayas and a sanctuary of wilderness that still feels truly untamed.

Namdapha is the only national park in India that is home to all four of the world’s big cats—tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, and snow leopard. This rare distinction makes it a unique treasure for wildlife enthusiasts and researchers. The park’s vast altitudinal range, from 200 metres in the lowland valleys to over 4,500 metres in the snowy peaks, creates habitats for an astonishing variety of flora and fauna.

The dense jungles here shelter elephants, Asiatic black bears, wild dogs, red pandas, Himalayan serows, and over 400 bird species. Hornbills, wren-babblers, and rare pheasants can often be spotted by patient birdwatchers. Its rivers and streams are equally rich, supporting diverse aquatic life. This ecological wealth has made Namdapha an international centre of study for biologists and conservationists.

One of the park’s most remarkable features is its sheer diversity of landscapes. From evergreen rainforests and bamboo thickets to alpine meadows and snowy ridges, Namdapha presents a living gallery of nature. Trekking through its trails, visitors experience dramatic shifts in terrain, vegetation, and wildlife with every climb and descent.