Communities in the Landscape
Pakke-Eaglenest
The Nyishis, Bangni Monpas, Sherdukpens, Aka, and Mijir are the major tribal groups residing in and around the landscape. The area around Pakke Tiger Reserve is mainly inhabited by the Nyishi tribe while the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary is surrounded by the Bugun tribe which strongly advocates for the conservation of the sanctuary.
Both districts have a significant population of Nepali-speaking people.
The tribal communities harbor strong hunting traditions in this region and still maintain traditional rights of NTFP collection and are permitted the use of timber for non-commercial purposes.
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The Tharu tribal group is indigenous to the landscape and live in several enclaves bordering Indo-Nepal. They are dependent on agriculture and other allied activities along with forest resources for their livelihood. Lakhimpur-Kheri district has 26.4 percent of the total population belonging to the Scheduled Castes and 1.33 percent to Scheduled Tribes. In Bahraich district 14.6 percent belong to the Scheduled Castes and 0.32 percent to Scheduled Tribes. Agriculture is the primary occupation of the rural population. Principal crops like rice and sugarcane along with some of the traditional crops such as wheat, mustard, and pulses are grown during the kharif and rabi seasons. The adoption of alternative cash crops is low among the farmers.
