01 Mar

State Wise National Parks

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Content

• Uttar Pradesh – NP
• Bihar – NP
• Jharkhand – NP
• West Bengal NPs
• Sikkim – NP
• Assam – NP
• Arunachal Pradesh NPs
• Meghalaya
• Manipur NPs

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1. UTTAR PRADESH – NP

1) DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK (TIGER RESERVE)

• DTR is a protected area in Uttar Pradesh that stretches mainly across the Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts and comprises of Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur WLS, and Kataranighat WLS.
• It’s total area is more than 1,000 km2.
• It shares the north-eastern boundary with Nepal, which in large extent is defined by Mohana river.
• Fauna
• Tigers, leopards, beer, swamp deer, rhinoceros, elephant etc.

2. BIHAR – NP

1) VALMINKI NATIONAL PARK, TIGER RESERVE AND WLS

• It’s located on Indo-Nepal Border in West Champaran district of Bihar, on the bank of Gandak. It is the only National Park in Bihar.
• Nepal’s Chitwan National Park borders the VNP.
• Gandak and its tributaries are known to flood the Valmiki Tiger Reserve

3. JHARKHAND – NP

1) BETLA NATIONAL PARK (TIGER RESERVE)

• It is located on the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the Latehar district of Jharkhand, India.
• It consists of Palamau Tiger Reserve and Mahuadar Wolf Sanctuary.
• Floor: Sal and Bamboo are the major floral component of the park.
• Fauna: Elephants, Sloth bear, Panther, Wolf, Jack etc.

4. WEST BENGAL NPS

1) SUNDARBAN NP

• It is a national park, tiger reserve, biosphere reserve in west Bengal.
• It is part of Sundarbans in Ganga Delta and adjacent to Sundarbans Reserve Forest in BD. The Sundarban have also been added to the list of Ramsar Sites.
• Flora
  • Mangrove forests – Sundari trees (pneumatophore)
• Fauna: Bengal Tiger, Saltwater crocodiles; Fishing cats, leopard cats, wild boar, Pangolin, Chital are also found in Abundance
• Threatened Species
• Royal Bengal Tiger, Saltwater crocodile, river terrapin, Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, Ganges River Dolphin, Hawksbill turtle and mangrove horsehoe crab.

2) GORUMARA NP

• Location: Northern West Bengal Jalpaiguri district, in the Terai region of Himalayan foothills.
• Physical Features
  • Medium-sized Park (80 square Kms) with grasslands and forests and is known as Dooars in West Bengal.
  • The Park is located on the flood plains of Murti River and Raidak river. The major river of the park is the Jaldhaka river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River system.
• Zoological Features:
  • Primarily known for its population of Indian Rhinoceros.
  • Other animals found here include Gaur, Asian Elephant, sloth bear, chital and Sambar deer.
  • Lack of carnivores, only big cat being leopard. Tiger occasionally spotted.
  • Submontane forest birds like scarlet minivet, sunbird, Asian paradise suncatcher, and Indian Hornbill.
• Conservation Focus
  • Maintain a viable breeding community of Indian Rhinoceros

3) JALDAPARA NP

• It is a NP in the foothills of Himalayas in the Northern Bengal and is on the banks of Torsa river.

It has second largest rhino population (after Kaziranga (>2400 rhinos)

4) NEORA VALLEY NP

• Kalimpong district, West Bengal
• National Park, IBA site,
• Fauna
  • Known for Red Panda
  • Civet
  • Black bear
  • Himalayan Flying Squirrel
  • Barking deer

5) SINGALILA NP

• Darjeeling district
• Located on the Singalila ridge at an altitude of 7,000 meters.
• Flora
  • Thick bamboo, oak, magnolia, and Rhododendron
• Fauna
  • Red Panda
  • Leopard Cat
  • Barking deer
  • Wild boar

6) BUXA NATIONAL PARK

• Tiger reserve located inside National Park.
• Notified as tiger reserve in 1983.
• Consists of moist deciduous and evergreen forests.
• Other Species at Buxa
  • Clouded leopard, jungle cats and fishing cats.
  • Elephants, gaurs, chital, sambars, barking deers and hog deer.

5. SIKKIM – NP

1) KHANGCHENDZONGA NATIONAL PARK (KHANGCHENDZONGA BIOSPHERE RESERVE)

• It is a national park and Biosphere reserve located in Sikkim, India. The total area of the park is 849.5 km2. It forms the core of the Biosphere Reserves.
• It includes a unique diversity of plains, valleys, lakes and glaciers and spectacular snow-capped mountains covered with forests including the world’s third highest peak, Mount Khangchendzonga.
• The National Park falls in the Himalayan Global Biodiversity Hotspots and displays an unsurpassed range of sub-tropical to alpine system.
• It was also inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in July 2016, becoming the first mixed heritage site in India.
• It was recently included in UNESCO’s MAB program.
• Cultural Significance
  • There are few lepcha tribal settlements inside the park.
  • The Park contains Tholung Monastry, a gompa located in the park’s buffer zone.
• Neighbouring Protected Area
  • In the north it adjoins the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve in Tibet and in the West the Kanchenjunga Conservation area in Nepal.
• Important Fauna: Musk deer, snow leopard, Himalayan Tahr, red panda, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Blue Sheep etc.

6. ASSAM – NP

• National Parks in Assam – After addition of two national parks in June 2021, Assam now has 7 National Parks (2nd highest in the country)

1) RAIMONA NATIONAL PARK

• Details
  • It is a national park in Assam, India located in Gossaigaon subdivision of Kokrajhar district. It is located within the Bodoland Territorial Region.
  • The area includes the northern part of the notified Ripu Reserve Forest, which forms the western buffer to the Manas National Park.
• Boundaries:
  • Raimona is bounded in the West by the Sankosh river (along the Assam-WB border) running southwards from the India-Bhutan border.
  • Saralbhanga river on the east forms the eastern boundary.
  • Pekua river defines the NP’s southern boundary.
  • It alsosharesthecontiguousforest patchesofthePhipsooWLSand theJigmeSingyeWangchuk National Park in Bhutan creating a transboundary conversion landscape.
• Such secured transboundary ecological landscape will ensure the long-term conversation of endemic species like the golden langur, the mascot of Bodoland Territorial Council and the endangered species such as the Asian Elephants, the Bengal Tiger etc.

2) MANASA NATIONAL PARK

• Situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and extended to Bhutan, Manas National Park is one of the most sought after tourist destination in entire North East.
• History
  • Declared a sanctuary in 1928
  • World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985
  • World Heritage Site in danger in 1992 – due to poaching and other instability
  • Tag of World Heritage Site in danger removed – 2010.
• Important Wild life species
  • One horned Rhino, Wild Buffaloes, little known white winged duck, and Manipur Bush Quail, among others.
• Pygmy Hog Conservation Program (PHCP)
  • The Pygmy Hog Conservation Program (PHCP) is a collaboration among Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust of UK, Assam Forest Department, Wild Pig Specialist Group of International Union for Conservation of Nature and MoEF&CC.
  • It is currently being implemented by NGOs Aaranyak and EcoSystems India.
  • Under this initiative six Hogs (two males and 4 females) were captured from the Bansbari range of Manas National Park in 1996 for starting the breeding program.
  • The reintroduction began in 2008 with Sonai Rupai WLS (35 Hogs), Orang National Park (59) and Barnadi WLS (22).
  • With the June 2021 release, the total number of releases in wild under the PHCP program reached 146, which is more than their total original global population.
  • Conservation of Pygmy Hog was initiated by noted naturalist Gerald Durrell and his trust in 1971. Pygmy Hog was brought back from near extinction by the partnership effort, and the efforts are being made towards establishment of a population across the entire range.
  • By 2025, the PHCP plans to release 60 Pygmy Hogs in Manas.

3) KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

• Situated in the Golaghat and Nagaon district of Assam.
• It is a World Heritage site, a tiger reserve, an IBA and is most famous for its one-horned Rhinos.
• Fauna
  • Great one-horned Rhino: It hosts 2/3rd of the world’s one-horned Rhino population.
  • Tigers: It has one of the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world.
  • Elephant, wild water buffalo, swamp deer, Golden Langur
    • Eastern swamp deer (Barasinga) (VU)
  • Geographical feature
    • It is situated on the banks of Brahmaputra (The river lies to its north and west)
  • It is crisscrossed by 3 other rivers

4) ORANG NATIONAL PARK

• It is located on the northern bank of Brahmaputra in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts of Assam.
• Famous Fauna:
  • Great Indian one-horned Rhino
  • Pigmy Hog
  • Elephants, wild buffaloes and tigers
  • Birds
    • Bengal Florican (CR) also called Bengal Bustard is one of the flagship species of the park with a population of 30-40
• It is the only stronghold of Rhino on the northern Bank of Brahmaputra.

5) NAMERI NATIONAL PARK

• Nameri is located in Sonitpur district of Assam.
• Shares border with Pakhui WLS of Arunachal Pradesh.

6) DIBRU SAIKHOWA NATIONAL PARK AND BIOSPHERE RESERVE

• At Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts of Assam
• Rivers
  • Bounded by Brahmaputra and Lohit rivers in the north and Dibru river in the South.
• Fauna
  • White winged duck (EN)
    • The park was created to protect the white winged duck
  • Water buffalo
  • Black breasted parrotbill
  • Tiger and capped langur
• Flora: The Forest type of Dibru Saikhowa comprises of semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, littoral and swamp forests and patches of wet evergreen forests. It is the largest swamp forest in north-east India.

7) DIHING PATKAI NATIONAL PARK

• The national park is a contiguous stretch of forests, starting from Upper Dihing Forests in the east (under Digboi division of the Tinsukia district) upto the Jeypore RF (under the Dibrugarh Division, Dibrugarh district).
• It comprises of Pristine forests along the Assam-Arunachal interstate boundary, classified as Assam Valley Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests.
• Dehing-Patkai is sometimes also referred as ‘Amazon of the East’. It is the only rain forest in Assam and also spreads into Arunachal Pradesh.