Nature Parks

Nature Parks

-Debasish Mukherjee, eminent advocate

Jaldapara National Park - 

Jaldapara National Park is the home to the Indian one horn rhino and elephants at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas on the bank of the Torsa river. The forest spreads across an area of 216 . 51 sq km. Toto, Mech tribes are used to stay in this area. 

    Jaldapara National Park is a heaven for bird watchers with the rare Bengal Florican being the major attraction amongst the bird species.  Hornbill is one of the rare birds that can be spotted here. Jaldapara was declared as a sanctuary in the year 1941 and was declared as National Park in the year 2014. Other animals and reptiles in the park include Indian leopard, Sambhar, Barking deer, Hog deer, Gaur, Python, Cobra , Krait and eight species of fresh water turtles.  Some of the species in the park are endangered species like one horn rhino and elephants.  

           Gorumara National Park - 

The park is located in the Dooars region of the Himalayan foothills on the flood plains of Murti and Raidak rivers. The major river in the park is Jaldhaka. The Forest spreads across an area of 79. 99 sq km.  The park was declared as National Park in the year 1994 . The park has been declared as the best among the protected areas in India by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in the year 2009. It is the category 2 national park according to IUCN. The tribes in this area are Rajbanshi, Mech, Rava, Lepcha and Nepalese etc.  The park is rich in large herbivores including one horn rhino, gaur, elephant, samber deer , Hog deer.  There is a competitive lack of carnivores with the only big cat being the leopard.  The park is on the flyway of migratory birds including the rare Brahminy duck. The park is the home to a large number of snakes e.g python, king kobra etc.

     The major conservation focus of the park is to maintain a viable breeding community of Indian one horn rhino.  The rhinoceros male : female ratio is 1: 3 shot up to 1: 1 resulting in male dominance fight and death. Poaching was a major issue in the park in the 1970 s and 1980s but now Gorumara is one of the parks least threatened by poaching.  A recent issue at the park is the increasing number of train accidents involving elephants.  Railway authorities and the park authorities are presently trying to solve the problem.