Eastern Himalaya & Assam Plains

Stretching from eastern Nepal to the eastern edge of the Great Himalaya and to the hills south of the Bramhaputra, the Eastern Himalaya and its associated Assam plains, hold India's finest swampy grasslands of the Terai, lowland/montane rainforest, temperate broad-leaved and sub-alpine coniferous forests. This is a high rainfall, phenomenally high biodiversity region. The numbers are astounding, with 10000 plants, 800 birds and 200 mammals. These include a number of the Earth's rarest species. The Terai holds One-horned Rhinoceros, Swamp Deer, Pygmy Hog, Asiatic Elephant, Asiatic Water Buffalo, Gangetic Dolphin and among India's highest densities of Tiger.

The lowland/montane rainforest and temperate broad-leaved forest continuum holds Golden Langur, Hoolock Gibbon, Clouded Leopard, Golden Cat, Assamese, Stump-tailed and Pig-tailed Macaques and Red Panda to name but a few. The Eastern Himalaya is especially rich in birds and particularly interesting for rare endemics among the Pheasants and Babblers that are found here. There are Swamp Francolin, Bengal Florican, Marsh Babbler, White-winged Duck, Black-breasted Parrotbill and Manipur Bush Quail in the Terai of the Assam plains - among the last remaining habitats for these birds. This entire region contains among India's highest forest cover and is incredibly rich in micro-fauna as it is with mammals, plants and birds.