National Parks of West Bengal

The term ‘national park’ denotes a geographical area devoted to preserving nature, biodiversity, and wildlife. Hunting, poaching, encroachment, cattle grazing, and developmental forestry are prohibited. In India, lands, wastes, forests, or water bodies under section 38 or 35 or are deemed under the sub-section (3) of section 66 of the Wildlife Protection Act,1972  are declared as national parks.

Some numerous national parks and sanctuaries offer the preservation of wildlife as well. Here is a brief note of the existing national park of West Bengal below.

National Parks of West Bengal: A History

The British colonial government decreed the Crown Land ordinance in 1840, which brought in colonial control of forest lands of Asian colonies. The India Forest act was also passed by the colonial rulers in 1865. Later, an amendment to the constitution of India made Indian forests a concurrent subject in 1976.

In 1973, West Bengal Panchayat Act included policies for local forest management. In 1907, the West Bengal Forest school, Downhill, was established to give necessary training to the forest rangers and guards.

Top National Parks of West Bengal

The existing national parks of West Bengal are rich with exotic flora and fauna. The diversity of West Bengal nature and wildlife is vivid among the national parks. The major national park is located in the Sundarbans Delta area and the Northeast regions of West Bengal.

Sundarbans National Park – Sundarbans National Park is the biggest mangrove forest in the world. Also, this national park is known for being the home of the famous Royal Bengal tigers. The national park of Sundarbans is built to reserve the rare Bengal tigers and the biosphere.

Sundarban national park is a part of the Sundarbans Delta area. It is a safe home to a million wild and migratory birds, Gangetic dolphins, river terrapin, and reptiles like salt estuarine crocodiles. And due to the exotic natural beauty and wildlife, UNESCO declared it one of the world heritage sites.

Gorumara National Park – Gorumara national park is located on the Raidak and Maruti rivers banks in the Jaldapara district. Gorumara is another important national park in this state that spreads over 80 square kilometres of the landscape. This national park is geographically situated in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Gorumara is a riverine grassland with deep moist forests. Gorumara National Park is famous for its Asiatic one-horned rhino. However, this park offers a variety of wildlife that includes various reptiles, birds, mammals, etc. It is a shelter for some Royal Bengal tigers, Great Indian hornbills, and Asian elephants.

Neora Valley National Park – Neora Valley National Park is located in the Kalimpong district. This national park was established in the year of 1986. And it spreads over 80 square kilometres of area.

The Neora Valley National Park houses a wide range of flora and fauna, including Chinese marmorata, lapped, Mayans, Giant Squirrels, etc. Also, the forests of Neora Valley showcase a variety of flowering moss and lichen.    

Buxa National Park – The Buxa National Park was established in 1983 in the parts of Northeast West Bengal that separate Bhutan and Assam. It is the 15th tiger reserve in the country. Also, the Buxa Tiger Reserve is the largest in the Dooars. This national park spreads over 759 square kilometres.

The national park of Buxa displays a couple of streaming brooks and rivers with a variety of different flora and fauna.

Singalila National Park – Singalila National Park is situated in the Singalila range of West Bengal. This national park was established in colonial times. It is spread widely over 78.60 square kilometres covering the Alpine valley and Rhododendron forests enriched with rare species of birds, animals, and flora. This place is a haven for wild animals like barking deer, chinkara, pangolin, and red panda.

The biodiversity of this national park is strictly protected, and hunting, cattle grazing, and developmental forestry are prohibited. This place is famous for its picturesque, panoramic view of the Himalayan peak ranging from Nepal to Bhutan.

Jaldapara National Park– Originally a wildlife sanctuary, Jaldapara was declared a national park of West Bengal in 2014. This place is situated on the bank of the Torsa River. It houses barking deer, Indian one-horned rhinoceros, sambars, and leopards.

Wildlife Sanctuaries in West Bengal

Other than these national parks, there are fifteen wildlife sanctuaries among many forests in West Bengal. Chapramari, Mahananda, Sonajhuri, and Purabsthali are some of the major wildlife sanctuaries of West Bengal.

Conclusion

According to a recent survey, the West Bengal state contributed 13.3 8% of its geographical area to the forest reserve. The state of West Bengal has a different classification of forests. There are primarily three types of forest categorisation: reserved forest, protected forest, and unclassed forest. With all these forests, the government of West Bengal actively preserves the exotic flora and fauna of the state.