Derived from the word 'doors', the Dooars form a gateway to the hill stations of North Bengal and Bhutan. Spread over a vast stretch of land 130 kms by 40 kms and consisting of velvety green tea gardens and virgin forests crisscrossed by the river Teesta and its tributaries the region is famous for its wildlife sanctuaries, the most notable of which is Jaldapara,which is home to the famous one-horned Indian rhino and some rare and endemic species like the Hispid hare, Hogbadger and sloth bears. The forests in the Dooars have a large variety of deer, namely, the sambar, barking deer, spotted deer and the hog deer. The wild life sanctuaries in the region are Mahananda, Gorumara, Buxa Tiger Reserve and Rasikbill. The rich and varied avifauna includes the Crested Eagle, Pallas' Fishing Eagle, Bengal Florican and the Lesser Pied Hornbill. Python, monitor lizards, krates, cobras, geckos and about eight species of fresh water turtles enrich the reptilian diversity. A great way of exploring the sanctuary is on elephant back.

Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary
Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is about 124 km from Siliguri. It was constituted in the year of 1941 for the protection of wild life, particularly Great Indian one-horned Rhinos. The forest is mainly savannah covered with tall elephant grass. River Torsa runs through this forest sanctuary. The major floras are Sal, Simul, Khair, Sisoo, Sidha, Gamar, Mallotus, Kawla, Dilenia and Ficus.

In addition to the famous single horned Rhinos, the wildlife also has tigers, leopards, wild elephants, sambar, wild pigs, swamp deer, hog deer, spotted deer, barking deer, gaurs or indian bisons, bengal florican, jungle fowl, peafowl, Quail etc. The Sanctuary is home for some rare and endemic species like the hispid hare, hog badger etc, wild boar and sloth bears. Python, monitor lizards, krates, king cobras, geckos and about 8 species of fresh water turtles enrich the reptilian diversity. Elephant riding facility is available in the sanctuary. 22 kms from Madarihat is Totopara, home to the Toto Tribe, one of the few remaining tribes of its kind in the world. Their customs and culture have invoked great interest amongst anthropologists.

How to get at Jaldapara ( Approach & Access )

The place is well-connected by National Highways and State Highways to important railway stations like New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri. The Delhi-Gauhati and Howrah-Gauhati routes also connect this area.. Major stop at Falakata Railway station. Jaldapara is 19 kms from here. Only passenger trains stop at Madarihat, which is 7 kms from the sanctuary. Flights to Bagdogra, which is approximately 140 km from Madarihat are available from Delhi and Calcutta. You can also hire your car from Siliguri or Jalpaiguri.

Gorumara is situated beside the National Highway 31, which connects Siliguri and Guwahati. The Gorumara forest, declared a sanctuary in 1976, is also one of the recent introductions to the National Parks map of India. Starting with an area of 8.61 sq km, it now covers 79.85 sq. km. It is famous for being one of the last small pockets in eastern India with a natural population of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros. According to a recent census, there are 19 one-horned rhinos, more than 50 elephants, 300 bison and 25 leopards in this sanctuary, besides different species of deer and birds. With the Murti and Raidak rivers flowing nearby and the mountain ranges on the horizon, the pleasant natural setting of the Park is an added attraction.

There are forest bungalows amidst beautiful surroundings available for stay at Gorumara ( 2 rooms)and Murti. Murti forest bungalow (4rooms and 2 dormitories) with all modern amenities lies on the banks of river Murti near the beautiful forests of Chapramari, a 45 minutes drive from Lataguri. The nearby small town Lataguri has many private resorts as well as the Gorumara National Park nature Tourism center available for stay.

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