Balpakram is located in

South Garo Hills South Garo Hills is an administrative district in the state of Meghalaya in India. As of 2011 it is the least populous district of Meghalaya (out of 7). The district was established in 1992. Geography The district headquarters are located at ...

district in

Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and J ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Balpakram is famous for its forest covered canyon-cum-gorge, which is now part of a National Park. The park also includes the Balpakram plateau and adjacent forests. The area lies in the southern part of Meghalaya. Garos, the local tribe inhabiting the region, believe this hill to be the sort of resting place for departed souls. This belief is due to many strange yet natural formations, physical and biological, found in the area. The place is also known for rare flora and fauna species and marine fossils. Balpakram is a hotspot of biodiversity in Meghalaya. Balpakram has a remnant population of the endangered

wild water buffalo The wild water buffalo (''Bubalus arnee''), also called Asian buffalo, Asiatic buffalo and wild buffalo, is a large Bovinae, bovine native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as ''Endangered species, Endangered'' i ...

''Bubalus arnee''. An interesting feature of the area is its small population of the

red panda The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzzle ...

that has generated curiosity across the world. Balpakram is an important habitat of the

Asian elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus ''Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the no ...

. The park has the last remaining herds of the gaur or

Indian bison The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to Indian Subcontinent , South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global populatio ...

in Meghalaya. Elsewhere in the state only stray animals are found. There are eight species of cats, ranging from tiger to

marbled cat The marbled cat (''Pardofelis marmorata'') is a small wild cat native from the eastern Himalayas to Southeast Asia, where it inhabits forests up to an elevation of . As it is present in a large range, it has been listed as Near Threatened on the ...

. Balpakram has a diverse primate population having seven species. The rare stump-tailed macaque is rarely seen but the

pig-tailed macaque The pig-tailed macaques are two macaque sister species. They look almost identical and are best distinguished by their parapatric ranges: * Northern pig-tailed macaque, ''Macaca leonina'' (Bangladesh to Vietnam, south to northern Malaysia) * Sout ...

is often encountered.

Hoolock The hoolock gibbons are three primate species of genus ''Hoolock'' in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae, native to eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India, Myanmar, and Southwest China. Description Hoolocks are the second-largest of the gibbons, after ...

s are well distributed all over the park except the grassy plateau. Balpakram is also an Important Bird Area. It is an important tourist destination and is accessible from Guwahati via Tura and Baghmara as well as via Shillong and Ranikor. Besides the untouched forest in the gorge and the picturesque plateau, the panoramic view of Tanguar Haor, a Ramsar Site in northern Bangladesh are noteworthy features of Balpakram.Choudhury, A.U. (2009). Balpakram –Meghalaya’s heritage IBA. ''Mistnet'' 10 (4): 11-13.

References

{{coord missing, Meghalaya Geography of Meghalaya Important Bird Areas of India