Wildlfie in Dooars
The forested areas of Northern West Bengal present a plethora of Wildlife. Imagine a stretch of land 130 km. long by 48 km. wide where nature has lavished all her bounties.

And you know it’s Dooars. Here, an unending stretch of virgin forests is crisscrossed by the river Teesta and her innumerable tributaries. Beautiful motorable roads cut through deep forests, rich with wildlife. Mauve hills stand at the end of velvet green plains. The forests echo with the melody of birds. In between, there are fabulous wildlife sanctuaries with picture-postcard, log cabin lodges and valleys carpeted with tea gardens

SINGHALILA NATIONAL PARK
Singhalila National Park is the highest located National Park(between 2400 m to 3650m A.S.L.) in West Bengal, and is situated in the extreme north western boundary of Darjeeling District. The park is not only famous for its wildlife but also offers one of the best trekking routes in the eastern Himalayas -from Maneybhanjang near Darjeeling, via Tonglu to Sandakphu (35Km) and Phalut. The view of the Kanchendzonga range of peaks from Sandakphu is a breathtaking and unforgettable one. Viewed from Phalut, the Kanchedzonga looks close enough to touch. There is also a motorable road upto Sandakphu. Rail, road and air routes via New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri and Bagdogra, connect Darjeeling from Calcutta and Delhi.

MAHANANDA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Wildlife in Dooars, Jungle Safari in Dooars, Sikkim Dooars, Dooars in Sikkim, Sikkim jungle safari, Elephant in DooarsThe Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary constitutes the forests of the lower catchment area of the Mahananda river, and covers an area of 159.86 sq.km. Situated at the western end of the elephant migration route, more than 150 elephants shelter here during the monsoon and winter seasons. Migratory water birds are common in winter. The other animals found are the rare mountain goat (Serow), some tigers and herds of Gaur, leopards, wild pig, arieties of deer and monkeys, jungle cats, porcupines, civets, monitor lizards and snakes. The Sanctuary offers some beautiful trekking routes from Sukna. Golaghat, Deorali and the Latpancher-Mana track are the favorites for trekking and bird watching. Sukna, about 7 km from Siliguri, is the main entry point, and has a Nature Interpretation Centre.

GORUMARA NATIONAL PARK
This is the migratory route of the Asiatic elephant. The Indian Bison or Gaur is found almost everywhere. The endangered one homed rhino can be seen at Jaldapara and Gorumara. The Royal Bengal Tiger can be found at Mahananda & Buxa with other numbers of the cat–family dominating all forests & tea gardens. The flora & fauna breaks all records of bio-diversity. In between are the settlements of small tribes like Mech, Rava, Oraon, Munda, Kora etc. and even the smallest surviving tribe, the Toto. A large number of rivers & streams, gushing and gurgling down the hills meets you at every mile or two.

Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks of Interest in Dooars & adjoining areas are Mahananda Wildlife sanctuary, Sevoke, Kalijhora, Purbakhola, Mongpong, Malbazar, Gorumara National Park, Jaldhaka, Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Rasikbill and much more.

Wildlife in Dooars JALDAPARA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Jaldapara Sanctuary holds the largest expanse of terai grasslands in North Bengal intersected with riverine forests, dry-mixed forests and wet-forests. Tall riparian grasslands lined with bamboo clumps are the favorite homes of the Rhino and the Asiatic elephant. A host of other species like the python, monitor lizard, kraits, cobra and a variety of frogs can be seen here. Hog Deer, a typical animal of short grasslands quite often shoots out of cover in small groups on approach. The cheetal is confined to the edge – areas between treelands and grasslands. The sambar hides in a good shrubby undergrowth. Gaurs - Indian bison – roam over grasslands and forest. A tiger or leopard may be surprised on the sandy banks of a stream. Forest safari in stealthily moving elephants is a most wonderful experience in Jaldapara Sanctuary.

BUXA FORT
Buxa Fort is located at an altitude of about 2600 ft A.S.L. at a two-hour trekking distance from Santrabari. The trek is a very pleasant one with some beautiful scenery en route. Originally established as a cantonment by the British East India company in 1873, it was used by the British as a deportation camp for political prisoners during India's struggle for freedom. The area's general inaccessibility, as well as dense forests, made it ideal for this.Some illustrious freedom fighters who were imprisoned here were - Triloki Sen,, Arun Guha, Surendra Mohan Ghosh, Hemendra Ghosh, Anil Roy, Maj. Satya Gupta, Amalendu Dasgupta, Jagannath Das Gupta, Khitish Chandra Mullick, Bhupati Majumdar and many others. Post-independence, it lost its significance and until today remains rather neglected. In the sixties, Buxa Fort was used as a relief camp for Tibetan refugees. The Tibetan Buddhist monks who also sheltered here, attracted quite a few national and international tourists. During 1970-71, it was again used as a relief camp for Bangladeshi refugees for about six months. The trekking route to the fort both from Mahakal and Santrabari, is set amidst breathtaking scenery and provides trekkers with an opportunity to sample nature in a form unspoiled by modern influences. Details regarding Buxa are available from the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation, Calcutta. This mixed dry deciduous forest land dotted with grasslands, harbors the largest diversity of mega fauna in West Bengal. Two major sanctuaries - Jaldapara Sanctuary and Gorumara National Park are home to the Great Indian one horned rhinoceros. After reaching an all-time low in the mid-seventies, the population has now bounced back and the rhinos are kept under constant surveillance.

General Information
Total Area: 114 Square Kilometer
Latitude: 25° 58' to 27 ° 45' North
Longitude: 89° 08' to 89 ° 59' East
Altitude: 61 Meters
Temperature: 2° C Min and 41° Max
Best Season: October to May, particularly March and April, when new grass is growing.
Best Time to Visit: Between September and March, specially in winter to catch a view of the migratory birds.
Off Season: 15th June to 14th September (Sanctuary closed)
Clothing Summer- Cottons, Winter- Woolens
Language Spoken Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, English

The Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary and the Garumara Wildlife Sanctuary can be accessed from

By Air : Bagdogra is the nearest Airport from where one can go by above routes, (Siliguri to Bagdogra 13 km.) private vehicles are available at Madarihat for going to Hollong Forest Lodge/Jaldapara Tourist Lodge.
By Rail : Nearest Railway Station : Madarihat which is only 7 kms from the Sanctuary and all the passenger trains stop here. Jaldapara Tourist Lodge is in a walkable distance from this Railway Station. All the Mail and Express trains stop at Birpara/Hasimara Railway Station both are 20 kms. away from the sanctuary.
By Road : Jaldapara is connected by road with Darjeeling and Siliguri. North Bengal State Transport Corporation Buses, Bhutan Govt. Buses, Mini Buses and Private Buses are available from Siliguri to Alipurduar via Madarihat