Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary

Why in news?

• Meghalaya has yielded India’s first bamboo-dwelling bat with sticky disks, taking the species count of the flying mammal in the country to 130.

About the bat:

• It belongs to a species called Eudiscopus denticulus.
• The disk-footed bat was recorded in the north-eastern State’s Lailad area near the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, about 1,000 km west of its nearest known habitat in Myanmar.
• The disk-footed bat has raised Meghalaya’s bat count to 66, the most for any State in India.

About the Sanctuary:

• It has an area of 29.00 Sq.Kms and is located in Ri-Bhoi District at about 53 km distance from Shillong.
• The Sanctuary falls in the Eastern Himalayan Global bio-diversity hot spot.
• This area is rich in Floral and Faunal wealth.
• The area harbors over 400 plus species of Birds, 50 species of mammals and 25 species of reptiles.
• Out of 140 species of mammals listed in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act,1972, about 30 species are found in this Sanctuary.

Prelims Question

Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary is located in:
(a)Mizoram
(b)Meghalaya
(c)Nagaland
(d)Tripura 

Answer to the Prelims Question