The forest is a habitat of Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei), comprising semi evergreen, evergreen and deciduous types of forest with hilly terrain. This is an isolated hilly forest surrounded by flat land with 34 villages. The paddy fields surrounding the forest are rain-fed and numerous hill streams coming out from the forest have been playing a vital role in irrigating the crop land. River Kujia flowing through its South-western and Southern periphery and River Aie which is flowing through its North eastern periphery are acting as natural barrier and working as limiting factor for the dispersal of endemic primate species Golden Langur. This forest was totally denuded during 80s and is revived back through peoples participation. Now the forest is having more than 70% canopy cover.

There are seven different communities viz. Rabha, Garo, Bodo, Koch Rajbangshi, Adivasi, Gorkha and Bengali speaking Muslim communities live in the fringe of Pateswari CCA (Kakoijana Reserved Forest). There are six Rabha villages, one Garo village, two Bodo villages, 23 Koch Rajbangshi villages, one Bengali speaking Muslim village and one Adivasi village where Gorkha communities live together. Most of the people are poor farmers. 

Education, health and socio economic condition is overall poor.

Since long the fringe communities are depending on the forest for their daily needs like firewood, bamboo, cane, wild vegetable, mushroom, medicinal plants, thatch, honey etc. They have been using the forest for grazing during monsoon when there is lack of grazing space due to crops. Sometimes they go for fishing hill-stream fishes and crabs.

Earlier there was a traditional practice of Shikar (hunting deer) during Bhogali Bihu (Jan-Feb). People in group with handmade net used to go for Shikar but since last 15 years there was no such event due to the conservation initiatives by Nature’s Foster (NGO) and the community. The community imposed ban on it by putting signboards, writing warning message on big rock surface etc. There are 7 sacred groves in the forest and traditionally these are protected by the community. Nobody is allowed to access any resources from those areas.

It was Nature’s Foster (NGO), first identified and scientifically recorded the presence of endemic and endangered species Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei) in 1995 at Kakoijana Reserved Forest. Till then the local community was not treating the langurs as something special because they were not aware about its importance and considering the species is common everywhere. The systematic conservation effort and organising community was initiated from 1996 by Nature’s Foster. By that time the primary forest was totally destroyed and became totally barren. The destruction was during Assam Agitation and mostly in the name of agitation, some illegal and unsocial elements took the advantage and wiped out the timber resources. During that time the Forest department also initiated monoculture practises by replacing natural forest with Teak Plantation. Since there were less community leaders during that time and lack of organised effort and communication to protect the forest, the fringe community gradually developed a mindset that if everybody from outside and even forest department is also clearing the forest then why should they lag behind. They started selling firewood in the local markets and soon the forest became barren.

The conservation initiatives started by Nature’s Foster since 1996 and joint initiatives with Community Conservation Inc. USA  since 1998 started showing results from around 2003 and by 2004 there were 12 CCAs formed.

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Ghosh , S. (2008a) Report on Population Estimation of Golden Langur (Southern Population) in Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary and Re- serve Forests Under Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Bongaigaon Districts of Assam. Report to the Assam Forest Department, Guwahati, India.

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https://india.mongabay.com/2020/07/golden-langurs-cling-to-splintered-forests-and-fringe-villages-in-assam/ 

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https://wii.gov.in/eia/casestudies/industrial_projects3_baseline_studies_wildlife_status_of_the_forests_kakoijana_reserved_forest