Spectrum Tours » National parks in india » Dhudwa National Park

Dudhwa is located in Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1965 and acquired National Park status in 1977. Due to its location, in the foothills of the Himalayas, the park offers a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, aquatic life and avifauna species. Besides the tiger, some other wildlife attractions are herds of Barasingha deer and bird species such as raptors and owls.Declared a sanctuary in 1 965 and upgraded to a national park in 1977, Dudhwa became part of a Project Tiger reserve in the late 1980s,Dudhwa is a mix of moist grasslands and sal-dominated forests, almost contiguous with Nepal's Royal Bardia and Sukla Phanta Reserves. For part of its length the river Mohana roughly demarcates the border with Nepal. The grasslands are Dudhwa's main charm, the grass in sonic areas tall enough to hide an elephant. The rare Swamp Deer (Barasingha), native only to India, numbers about 1,800 here. Habitat fragmentation led to a drastic drop in its population but improved administration has helped. The Swamp Deer keep mostly to the grassy wetlands of Sathiana and Kakmha, where they feed until late in the morning and again in the evening.

The One-horned Rhinoceros is a gentle giant once widespread in the terai plains of Uttar Pradesh and throughout the Gangetic plains. It was hunted out of existence from the terai by the late 19th century. Later, the Assam and West Bengal populations of this animal were seriously threatened by disease and poachers. In a bold initiative in 1985, two males and five females were transferred to Dudhwa where, by 2001, they had multiplied to 16.

During the mid-1960s and early 1970s, a small herd of wild elephants was sighted here. The elusive and little-known Hispid Hare, last seen in 1951 and presumed locally extinct for years, was rediscovered in 1984. Elephants are rarely sighted today. Muggers (Marsh Crocodiles) and otters can usually be seen on the sandy banks of the rivers Mohana and Suheli, but the dense grass cover and thick woods make tiger sighting difficult. However, this is the park where Billy Arjan Singh successfully weaned the tiger cub, Tara, from being virtually domesticated to a natural life in the wilds.

Dudhwa, a blend of swamp, jheel (lake), grassland, riverine and forested habitats is home to nearly 400 species of birds, including the Bengal Florican, perhaps the rarest bustard in the world today. Several migratory duck, geese and various resident waterbirds are found in the wetlands while eagles, harriers and hawks circle overhead. A me1ange of owls take over between dusk and dawn when several mammals are also on the move. These untamed, amazingly resilient wilds of India have survived despite intensifying human demands.

KEY SPECIES
MAMMALS One-horned Rhinoceros (above), Tiger, Swamp Deer (Barasingha), Hog-deer, Leopard, Leopard-cat, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Common Palm Civet, Smooth Indian Otter, Sloth Bear, Sambar. Barking Deer, Spotted Deer (Chital)
REPTILES Mugger (Marsh Crocodile)
BIRDS BUSTARDS Bengal Florican
RAPTORS Pallas's Fish Eagle, Lesser Fish Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Brown Fish Owl

WOODLAND/SCRUB Black Francolin, Swamp Francolin, Red Junglefowl, Indian Peafowl, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Greater Flameback, Streak-throated Woodpecker, Lineated Barber, Drongo Cuckoo, Green-billed Malkoha, Striated Babbler, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Straited Grassbird, Bristled Grassbird

WATERSIDE Black-necked Stork, Black Stork, Lesser Adjutant, White Stork, Sarus Crane, Brown Crake, River Lapwing, River Tern, Cinnamon Bittern, Black Bittern, Stork-billed Kingfisher

Famous Resorts at Dhudwa National Park
Tiger haven.
Wildlife Department Forest Rest House.