Jaldapara National Park (Pron: ˌʤʌldəˈpɑ:rə) is a national park situated at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas in Alipurduar District of northern West Bengal, India, and on the banks of the Torsa River. It is situated at an elevation of 61 m (200 ft) and is spread across 216.51 km2 (83.59 sq mi) of vast grassland with patches of riverine forest.[1] It was declared a sanctuary in 1941 for protection of its great variety of flora and fauna. It is a habitat management area.[2]
| Jaldapara National Park | |
|---|---|
 An elephant safari through the Jaldapara Sanctuary | |
  Location in West Bengal, India | |
| Location | Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India |
| Nearest city | Madarihat, Birpara |
| Coordinates | 26°41′27″N 89°16′35″E / 26.6909°N 89.2763°E |
| Area | 216.51 km2 (83.59 sq mi) |
| www.jaldaparanationalprk.org | |
Today, Jaldapara National Park has the largest population of the Indian rhinoceros in the state.[3]
History
editToto tribes and Mech Tribes (Bodos) used to stay in this area before 1800. At that time this place was known as "Totopara". Formerly Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1941, has been elevated to Jaldapara National Park in May 2014 and is primarily meant for the conservation of the Indian rhinoceros.[4]
Flora and fauna
editThe forest is mainly savannah covered with tall elephant grasses. The main attraction of the park is the Indian one-horned rhinoceros. The park holds the largest rhino population in India after Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Other animals in the park include Indian leopard, Indian elephant, sambar, barking deer, chital, hog deer, wild boar and gaur. A floristic investigation was made during 2016–2018 to document the tree diversity and their present status in the Jaldapara National Park. A total of 294 species of trees belonging to 189 genera and 63 families, including 4 species of gymnosperms were recorded.[4]
References
edit- ^ "National Park status for Jaldapara Sanctuary". Times of India. 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ "Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary".
- ^ "Alipurduar Tourism". Alipurduar District Tourism. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
- ^ a b Ghosh, C.; Ghatak, S.; Biswas, K.; Das, A. P. (2021). "Status of tree diversity of the Jaldapara National Park in West Bengal, India". Trees, Forests and People. 3: 100061. doi:10.1016/j.tfp.2020.100061.
External links
edit
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Rhino at Hollong Tourist Lodge | |
| Jaldapara rhino |
- Official Homepage
- Alipurduar District Tourism Archived 27 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine at Alipurduar District Tourism
- Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary at West Bengal State Tourism