Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary

Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is a protect park situated at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas in Alipurduar Sub-Division of Jalpaiguri District in West Bengal and on the bank of river Torsa and have an area of 141 km² and altitude of 61 m. Jaldapara, the vast grassland with patches of riverine forests was declared a sanctuary in 1941 for protection of the great variety flora and fauna, particularly one-horned rhinos, an animal threatened with extinction.

Flora and Fauna

The forest is mainly savannah covered with tall elephant grasses. The main attraction of the sanctuary is Asiatic one-horned rhinoceros. The sanctuary holds the maximum number of rhinos population in India after Kajiranga National Park in Assam. The other animals consists of Royal Bengal Tigers, elephants, deers, sambhar, barking deer, spotted deer and hog deer, wild pig, bisons. Jaldapara is a paradise for bird watchers. It is one of the very few places in India, where the Bengal Florican is sighted. The other birds to be found here are the Crested Eagle, Pallas's Fishing Eagle and shikra, besides Jungle fowl, peafowl, patridges, Bengal Florican and lesser Pied Hornbill. Python, monitor lizards, krates, cobras, geckos and about 8 species of fresh water turtles have also found sanctuary here.

Park Activities

The park opens to visitors throughout the year except from 15 June until 14 September. During the period from October to May, and particularly March and April, new grass starts growing.

* An adventurous elephant ride in the morning will take you deep inside the grassland for the real excitement. The sights of rhino in a muddy pond, the herd of elephants or the running deer are the thrilling experiences in Jaldapara.

* Totopara: Adjacent to the sanctuary is another major attraction for those interested in ethnic tourism. Totopara is the only settlement for the Toto tribe, one of the most endangered ethnic communities in the world. Their numbers are now reduced to a mere thousand. Lots of initiatives have been taken by governmental and non-governmental agencies for the improvement of their living conditions. However, to live with them and to observe their traditional culture can still be a precious experience.

* Hidden deep inside the Chilapata Forests the ruins of a thousand years old fort of Nal King has a tremendous historical and archeological importance. The ruins consist of a broken wall and a broken gate of the fort. Built in the 5th century during the Gupta Empire the ruins still recall the memories of the Golden Age. Because the site is not maintained properly, it has now become a playground for leopards, snakes and other animals. However, digging up the ruins to extract the unheard tunes of the past might destroy the present ecological balance of the forest. It is wise to leave it to the competent authorities to decide whether we should compromise the present and the future to gather the wisdom of the past. The forest also contains a unique tree that bleeds like humans. The fluid that comes out is blood-like in color and density. A stand of the trees is located just few meters outside the broken gate of the old fort. According to the locals of that area these trees are 100-200 years old and are not found anywhere in the world. These trees are only a few in number and are yet to be given a botanical name.

* Car Safari in the park is also available.

External links

* [http://www.wbtourism.com/wildlife/jaldapara.htm West Bengal State Tourism]
* [http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/july042004/sh4.asp Decan Herald]
* [http://www.dharssi.org.uk/travel/india/jaldhapara.html Photos of Jaldapara]
* [http://mukto-bongo.blogspot.com/2006/07/jaldapara.html/ Jaldapara at a Glance for Visitors]
* Navigator India [http://www.navigatorind.com [www.NavigatorIND.com] : Wildlife tour in Dooars. Jaldapara WLS, Gorumara NP, Chapramari RF, Buxa TR.