Wildlife of
Arunāchal Pradesh

Primary Threats

• Forest and riverine habitat loss/fragmentation occurs through shifting cultivation (jhum) transitions, conversion to settled agriculture/horticulture in valleys, and widening linear clearings for roads, powerlines, and hydropower projects-breaking connectivity between Pakke-Nameri foothills, Kamlang-Namdapha forests, and Dibang/Siang landscapes.
• Roads, bridges, quarries, and camps open remote forests (West Kameng/Tawang, Upper Siang, Anjaw/Changlang), causing habitat break-up, more disturbance, vehicle collisions, logging, and hunting. Hydropower on Siang, Subansiri, Dibang, Kameng brings construction damage, many workers, and long-term river changes.
• Although large-scale commercial logging has been curtailed compared with the past, localized illegal felling and heavy extraction for construction timber and fuelwood persists near expanding road networks and towns; selective removal of large trees also reduces nesting/roosting resources for hornbills and other cavity nesters in lowland forests.
• Traditional and opportunistic hunting (guns/snares) affects pheasants, hornbills, primates, and ungulates in several landscapes; even where culturally regulated, increased market access via roads can shift hunting from subsistence to higher offtake.
• Cross-border proximity to Myanmar and trade routes toward Southeast Asia/Tibet can drive trafficking of high-value wildlife (e.g., pangolins, bear parts, big-cat parts) and capture of rare species; enforcement is challenging in rugged terrain with porous borders and expanding transport corridors.
• Elephants (foothill valleys), wild pigs, and occasionally bears cause crop loss; leopards and occasionally tigers depredate livestock in forest-edge villages. Retaliatory killing and social tolerance erosion are key risks, especially where compensation is delayed or inaccessible.
• Warming and altered precipitation are shifting treelines and alpine meadow composition, affecting high-elevation specialists (e.g., red panda habitat quality via bamboo dynamics; alpine ungulates and their predators). Glacier/snowpack changes and more extreme rainfall increase landslides and river sediment pulses, influencing both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
• Hydropower and river regulation (flow alteration, sediment trapping/release, bank stabilization) modify riparian habitats important for fish (e.g., mahseer), turtles, and riverine bird communities; altered fire regimes and increased human ignition near roads can change understorey composition in some forests.
• Local declines in river fish are linked to destructive practices (e.g., dynamite/chemical/electrofishing in some stretches), increased access to remote streams, and habitat changes from sedimentation and flow modification; this particularly affects larger migratory/riverine fishes in the Siang/Subansiri systems.
• Construction-related runoff, quarry silt, and landslide debris elevate turbidity in rivers; localized agrochemical use in expanding horticulture belts and improper solid waste disposal around growing towns/tourist nodes (e.g., Tawang circuit, Itanagar region) add pressure on waterways and wildlife.
• Expansion of horticulture (orchards/plantations), terrace cultivation in valleys, and settlement growth along road corridors reduces forest edges and increases human presence in wildlife movement zones, intensifying conflict and fragmenting habitats.
• Urban sprawl and associated infrastructure around Itanagar-Naharlagun and district headquarters increases demand for timber, sand/stone, water, and land; it also creates barrier effects and light/noise disturbance along key foothill interfaces.
• High dependence on fuelwood and non-timber forest products (bamboo, medicinal plants, wild edible species) can cause localized depletion near villages and roadheads; extraction pressure often concentrates along accessible corridors, degrading understorey and regeneration.
• In disturbed foothill and roadside areas, invasive plants (commonly including Lantana camara and Chromolaena odorata) can colonize openings, suppress native regeneration, and alter habitat quality for understorey-dependent fauna.
• Interface between livestock/free-ranging dogs and wildlife can transmit pathogens (e.g., canine diseases affecting carnivores; parasites to ungulates). Increasing settlements and road-linked dog populations heighten risks near protected-area edges.
• Pilgrimage/tourism growth (e.g., Tawang sector, Eaglenest/Pakke landscapes) increases traffic, noise, waste, and off-trail pressure. Military and border outposts can add persistent disturbance in high-elevation zones if not carefully managed.
• Localized coal/limestone extraction and stone quarrying (often associated with road and hydropower material needs) drive forest clearing, slope instability, and sediment pollution; impacts are typically concentrated but severe in affected valleys.
• Linear infrastructure and valley development can isolate small populations (e.g., arboreal primates, small carnivores, and some pheasants) across ridgelines and river barriers, reducing gene flow and increasing vulnerability to local extirpation.