The North Eastern region of India is considered to have one of the most varied selection of flora and fauna in the world. Species of plant and animal life, natural to mainland India, South East Asia and China can be found in this region.

To help preserve this ecological diversity the Government has declared two National parks, one biosphere reserve and three sanctuaries. They are the Balpakram National Park, The Nokrek National Park, The Nokrek Biosphere Reserve. The Siju Bird Sanctuary, the Baghmara Pitcher Plant Sanctuary and the Nongkhyllem Sanctuary.

Meghalaya has a large number of wild animals the most common of which is the Asian Elephant. The elephant population is mainly concentrated in Garo Hills though some can be found in parts of Jaintia Hills and Ri Bhoi District. There are a few royal Bengal tigers here as well. Some of the other animals being the Himalayan Bear, the Bear Cat, Leopards, Wild Cat, Slow Loris, three species of Macaques, Common Langur, the Hoolock Gibbon and many species of Deer. There has been report of sightings of the Malayan Sun . Bear but these could not be authenticated. The Hoolock Gibbon which can truly make the hills come alive with their call are heard in the jungles of Siju, Balpakram and Nokrek. The Garos, consider them sacred and if a group decides to stay near a village it is considered a good omen.

Source – The Indian forester, Feb 2002.

N.B.: some discrepancies may be there in the count as most elephant herds of Garo hills also migrate to Bangladesh and Assam.

Due to man/elephant conflict the government was always in a dilemma whether to declare elephants as a protected species. Due to this hesitation there was large scale elimination, and in the mid-seventies the elephants had to be classified as an endangered species. It was only then that the Government of India included them under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972). The Ivory trade was banned in 1991, and finally the Government launched Project Elephant all over the country in 1992. This brought relief to the elephant population in India.

Meghalaya, has a number of rare birds endemic to the State. The terrain being hilly only a few wetland birds are found in the state. Migratory ducks can be spotted in the Umiam Lake and the Siju Bird Sanctuary. The birds found in the hills normally inhabit thickly woode4d forests and are not easily seen. The Great Indian Hornbill, found in Garo Hills, is easy to spot in the Balpakram National Park. The lesser or Grey Hornbill is also seen around Siju. The Hill Myna is endemic to this area and can be observed during the nesting season. One interesting and rare bird is the Peacock Pheasant seen in Siju. Different species of bee eaters and bulbuls can be found in the southern slopes of Khasi and Jaintia hills. Just below the Shillong Peak is a patch of mixed forests which has been mentioned in some bird watching handbooks as a good place to observe a variety of birds in season.

The salt deposits found in Arebellagre village, about 45 kms from Tura, attract large number of green pigeons during the months of March/April.

The Nongkhyllem Sanctuary near Nongpoh is also a good place for bird watching. The best time for bird watching is March/April during the nesting season.