Mimi Village’s community forest falls under the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot (Conservation International), and the Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary and Saramati Area, an Important Bird Area recognized by Birdlife International, and Key Biodiversity Area. This region is part of the Patkai range of the Eastern Himalayas. Additionally, Mimi’s forest houses a cave complex, with 4 caves inside. The caves are used for ritualistic hunting of bats and are open for tourists as well.
he habitat in this region varies in response to elevation, ranging from Subtropical Evergreen, Temperate Broadleaf, Northern Montane Wet Temperate Forests to Alpine Scrub. Mimi’s forest adjoins Mt. Saramati (Nagaland’s highest peak at 3,841m) and India’s international border with Myanmar.
This region is home to diverse flora and fauna primarily consisting of different types of oak, rhododendrons, interspersed with pine trees. Species such as the Blyth’s tragopan (Nagaland’s state bird), Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus, Indian barking deer
Muntiacus muntjak, and red serow Capricornis rubidus among many others. Residents report the presence of a small resident population of the Endangered Hoolock gibbon Hoolock hoolock, India’s only ape species, which is likely extinct in the neighbouring forests