Habitat destruction is a huge threat for wildlife. Pakke Tiger Reserve has experienced significant logging pressures, resulting in significant forest loss in the landscape. Inside Pakke, logging was discontinued after a Supreme court ban in 1960 but there continue to be patches of forest which are still degraded and under arrested succession due to heavy weed infestation. In the Reserved Forests, adjoining Pakke, illegal logging has continued and resulted in significant tree cover loss. With our Restoration Project, we hope to bring back some of these degraded habitats and secure the future of birds and other wildlife around Pakke.

From 2014 to 2022, we raised around 38,000 seedlings and saplings of 91 native tree species. Since May 2016, we have planted around 15,000 saplings to cover an area of 13.91 ha. The sites where planting activities have been carried out include:

• Hornbill nest sites in the Reserved Forest adjoining Pakke TR

• Open degraded patches inside Pakke TR

• Elephant corridor in the Reserved Forest adjoining Pakke TR

• Fallow lands at the tea estates in Assam

The sites are regularly maintained and monitored for survival and growth after planting. The early monitoring shows variable survival across different sites. Sapling survival is affected at some sites due to higher wildlife activity, leading to the trampling of saplings or damage due to herbivory.

We have distributed saplings to tea estates in Assam. The goal is to convert fallow/open patches within the estate into an eco-friendly habitat. The survival of saplings is the highest at these sites among all other restoration sites. The higher survival can be attributed to the special measures taken for ensuring better survival and growth, which are applicable to sites that are fenced or closed, and where there is not much wildlife activity observed.

Planting activities in degraded patches around villages near Pakke have been carried out with community involvement. Many residents have shown an active interest in planting economically important native tree species, like Livistona jenkinsiana (Tokko), Phoebe cooperiana (Mekahi) and Chukrasia tabularis (Bogipoma), for their future timber needs. Some are also interested in restoring forest patches around their homes and farms, including areas near the riverbed in an attempt to prevent soil erosion.

Saplings have also been planted at various places like schools, administrative offices, and along the roadsides by the Forest Department, local NGOs, and local community youth. Until 2022, around 7,500 saplings have been distributed for these purposes.