Culture and history · Namthing Pokhri
How the salamander ponds are protected
Learn how a rare amphibian is being kept alive in the Darjeeling hills: wetland restoration, native grass planting, breeding at the Darjeeling zoo and a proposed landscape linking three ponds.
The Himalayan salamander needs still, shaded water for breeding and damp forest for the rest of the year. Across the Darjeeling hills many such ponds have been drained, filled or polluted, and roads cut animals off from their water.
In recent years the forest department has restored wetlands, planted native grasses around them and created protected breeding zones, while the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling has worked on breeding the species. A conservation landscape has been proposed around three wetlands: Namthing Pokhri, Pokhriatar and Panch Pokhri.
Read the signs at the lake and ask your guide or homestay host what has changed. The best thing a visitor can do is follow the rules and leave nothing behind.
Cost: Free
Questions people ask
Good to know
Who protects Namthing Pokhri?
The West Bengal forest department and the district administration have both been involved, and reports say the land is being transferred to the forest department. The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling also works on salamander conservation. Rules at the lake are posted on signs.
Why are Himalayan salamanders rare?
They need clean, still ponds in damp forest, and many such ponds in the Darjeeling hills have been drained, built on or cut off by roads. They breed slowly and do not travel far, so losing a pond can wipe out a local population.
How can visitors help the salamanders?
Keep out of the water, never handle the animals or eggs, leave no rubbish or food, keep noise down and follow the posted rules. Support local guides and homestays that respect the habitat, and avoid any operator offering to let you hold a salamander.
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