An Explorer's Paradise

Arunachal Pradesh is a biodiversity hotspot, and the new discoveries are a testament to this fact.

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Over the last couple of years, the state of Arunachal Pradesh has witnessed many discoveries of different species. In fact, research by explorers and researchers from across the country led to the discovery of six new species of living organisms in 2019. Researcher Bikramjit Sinha from Zoological Survey of India’s Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre, talking to Eclectic NorthEast shared, ‘The discoveries in the last couple of years were results of years of experiments conducted in the State. The forest cover of Arunachal Pradesh is 61.5 % comprising of eight wildlife sanctuaries; and the State has many places that are yet to be explored. Zoological Survey of India has initiated some exploration programs along with the State’s forest department and many NGOs.’

Arunachal is a true hotspot for undiscovered species of flora and fauna. Commenting on the orchid diversity, Sinha added, ‘The orchid diversity in the State is well known. Out of about a thousand species of orchids documented in India, over 500 are to be found in Arunachal Pradesh alone. In order to propagate and conserve the different species, the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation has established an Orchid Research and Development Station at Tippi in West Kameng district.’ According to experts, this is just the tip of the iceberg, and that the forests of the State are hiding many more secrets that are waiting to be discovered.

Recent Discoveries

In both 2018 and 2019, frequent discoveries were made. Almost all the discoveries made during the two years were reported in numerous national and international science journals. A team of researchers from Pune discovered a new species of natricid snakes and named it