Biswanath's Behali Reserve forest under threat!

Behali Reserve Forest, declared in 1917, is a semi-evergreen forest in the Biswanath district of Assam. With a total geographical area of about 140 sq. km, it is the last forest of the district. This forest connects the Nameri National Park on its west and Kaziranga National Park on its south creating an open path for the migration of endangered elephants and other wildlife. It is an integral part of Sonitpur Elephant Reserve and is recognized as an Important Bird Area and Key Biodiversity Area. The forest has been documented extensively in the last decade unearthing more than 950 species of plants and animals (307 species of native flowering plants, 49 mammals, 282 birds, 23 snakes, 11 lizards, 11 turtles, 12 amphibians, 275 butterflies and many more). Three new plant species are also described from the forest as new to science, and two among them are only found in this forest in the whole world. Of these above mentioned biodiversity, 36 species of them are threatened as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature . Apart from all these, the forest also supports several ecosystem services and livelihood of several indigenous communities. However with these extremely rich biodiversity, the forest still fights for its protection. Serious encroachment from almost all the sides, illegal tree felling and hunting are one of the most serious threats pushing such a rich assemblage towards local extinction. And now only a total of 80 sq.km of forest is left.