Tripura is endowed with vast natural resources. The State has a total area of 10,169 sq.kms out of which 6,168 sq. kms is occupied by forest (exclusive of tea gardens).Geographically, it lies in a strategic zone as it falls in between the Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese biological realms. Thus, Tripura stands at the gateway to floral and faunal confluence. Tripura also lies in bio-geographical zone of nine big North East hills. Over the years due to habitat destruction mainly by rampant felling of forests and shifting cultivation, the forest cover dwindled from 76 per cent to 33 per cent. Some of the recent measures taken by the State Government enabled restoration of the forest area to a great extent. The State Government adopted the Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan (NBSAP) in July 2000 which is likely to strengthen the concerted efforts for preservation of nature and natural resources in the State. As far as the bio-diversity status of India is concerned, Tripura occupies 0.32 per cent area of India and accounts for 12.78 per cent of the plant resources species found in the country.Tripura has been listed as one of the 26 endemic centres in India.Scientific studies have revealed that it possesses 1545 plant species with 28 varieties, 379 tree species, 320 shrubs, 581 herbs, 165 climbers, 34 ferns, 45 epiphytes, four parasites and 16 climbing shrubs out of which seven are endangered, seven are endemic and 18 rare species. The State also has 24 species of orchids and 266 species of medicinal plants. Scientific study has also shown that the Maximum Plant Diversity Index lies at 5.23, one of the highest in India. Rare species like Angiopteries erecta, a tree fern and Gnetum montanum, a climbing gymnosperm occupy a key position. Of the land animals, Tripura is endowed with 90 species of which 21 are endangered. It has 341 bird species of which 58 are migratory in nature. There are 289 species of aquatic flora and fauna of which 78 are fish species.Most interestingly, seven out of the 15 non-human primates have been recorded in the forests of Tripura which includes the rare spectacled monkey. At present, most of the wild species have been confined to the sanctuaries due to habitat destruction. Tripura has 603.65 sq kms of forests within the four sanctuaries- Sipahijala (18.4 sq kms), Gumti (389.54 sq.kms) Trishna (194.71 sq kms) and Roa (0.86 sq kms). The forest density of Tripura in terms of percentage is higher than the national figure. It is 17.35 per cent, the national figure being11.73 per cent. The percentage wise figure of open forests lies at 35.4 per cent which is greater than the national figure of 7.61 per cent. Overall, 52.79 per cent of the total land is covered by forest whereas the national figure stands at 19.47 per cent. The forests of Tripura have been classified as evergreen and deciduous. The evergreen type has been diminishing. Of adaphic types, bamboo (42 species are present), cane bamboo, garjan and grassland are prominent. Under the NBSAP the state Government has decided to set up 30 Biological Hot Spots. Some of the Biological Hot Spots along with their diversities are-Killa for elephant corridor, and areas of tribal protection; Unakoti for clouded leopard, white bear, wild dogs, gibbon, loris, langurs and python; Jampui for hullock gibbon and rhesus monkey; Kalapania for turtles, python, snakes, primates, best wetland areas; Bidyabill for elephants, endemic flora, hullock gibbon and bamboo area; Paharpur for elephant habitat, wild dog, migratory birds, porcupine, loris and endemic flora; Maharani for elephant migratory corridoor, dense natural forests, langurs, bears, wild dogs, python and Kacharicharra for hoolock gibbon, rhesus monkey, deer, python, bamboo and canes. The State government has decided to promote conservation in situ through these biological hot spots. For ex situ conservation the State Government has decided to procure some more animals from the zoos outside Tripura and has sought permission from the Central Zoo Authority for the purpose. The animals that are to be brought are a pair of Royal Bengal Tiger, a rhino, zebra and giraffe. The Forest Department has also undertaken the task to increase awareness through people’s participation by enactment of the three-tier Panchayati Raj System. Accordingly, the State’s bio-diversity strategy action plan emphasises more on people’s involvement to save the nature and its resources.