Nokrek

Nokrek National Park is the core of the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, covering about 47.48 km² in the West Garo Hills, near Tura Peak^[1]. UNESCO added the biosphere reserve to its list in May 2009^[1].

Seven primate species live here, including stump-tailed macaque, pig-tailed macaque and western hoolock gibbon, and camera traps have recorded gaur, leopard, Chinese pangolin, ferret badger and Asian elephant^[1]. Birds include Oriental and great pied hornbills, kalij pheasant and grey peacock-pheasant, and it is an Important Bird Area^[1]. A red panda was shot here in the 1960s, with no sightings reported since^[1].

Thick, tall forest covers the park. The mother germplasm of Citrus indica, locally Memang Narang, was discovered here, which led to the National Citrus Gene Sanctuary-cum-Biosphere Reserve^[1].

The rock is mainly gneiss, granulite, migmatite, amphibolite and banded iron formation, with patches of sandstone and carbonaceous shale, and the soil is mostly red loam^[1]. Rivers of the Garo Hills rise on the Nokrek Range, the Simsang being the most prominent^[1].

The Garo Hills have a warm, very wet monsoon climate typical of Meghalaya.

The park lies in the Garo Hills, home of the Garo (A'chik) people, and entry at Daribokgre village is regulated by the local community^[1].

The national park was established in 1986 and the biosphere reserve was listed by UNESCO in May 2009^[1]. An eco-sensitive zone of about 224 km² was notified on 3 July 2023^[1].

Sites include Nokrek Peak, Wachi Dare and Simsang Dare waterfalls, and the Chandigre Rural Tourist Resort, 9 km from Nokrek Gate^[1].

The northern approach is through Daribokgre village, and the south is reached via Anchigre and Dana Adugre or through Tura Peak Reserved Forest^[1]. Entry is regulated by the Forest Department, the park is a no-plastic zone, and lodging near the northern gate includes a Wildlife Inspection Bungalow and homestays^[1].

The Forest Department's East and West Garo Hills Wildlife Division manages the park. Within 1 km of the boundary new hotels and resorts are banned, and the buffer zone bans commercial mining, quarrying and major hydroelectric projects^[1].