Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Wildlife refuge in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife refuge inside Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India, made up of dense evergreen forest and bamboo growth. Several rivers, including the Poma, Pam, Pachin, Neorochi, and Chingke, run through the area.
The area was first protected as Itanagar Reserve Forest before being reclassified as a sanctuary when the capital city began to grow around it. The change in status was meant to keep the forest from disappearing under the pressure of urban expansion.
The sanctuary sits inside a state capital, which makes it a rare place where local people can watch forest animals without leaving the city. Visitors walking the trails often notice the contrast between the sounds of the city and the calls of birds deep in the trees.
The nearest railway station is at Naharlagun, which is the most convenient arrival point for the sanctuary. Accommodation can be found in nearby neighborhoods, so an overnight stay is easy to arrange if needed.
The sanctuary holds four hornbill species: Great Pied, Wreathed, Oriental Pied, and Rufous-necked hornbills, all living within the bounds of a city. Finding four types of these large forest birds in one urban area is quite rare and draws bird watchers from other states.
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