Wildlife of Kumaon & Garhwal Regions:
The world of Indian wildlife is quite fascinating. In India there is a lot of wildlife to be seen an d more nature to be experienced in the raw than almost any other country in the world. Wildlife Tour in Uttaranchal is an exhilarating experience. Some useful information about major national parks & wildlife sanctuaries in Uttaranchal, by Grand Tours India, is given below.
Corbett National Park
Jim Corbett National Park or Tiger Reserve is situated in the foothills of ancient Shivalik range in Uttaranchal. It is India’s finest park spread over 520 sq km along the banks of the Ramganga River. It is just 300 km northeast of Delhi. It was established initially as Hailey National Park on the 8th August, 1936, in honour of Sir Malcolm Hailey, the governor of the United Provinces, the name was changed to Ramganga National Park in 1952. In 1957, it was finally named as Jim Corbett Park in honour and memory of late Jim Corbett, the legendary hunter, naturalist-turned-author and photographer who had helped in setting up the park and demarcating its boundaries. Corbett is regarded as one of the true bird parks of the world.
Though the park is developed to preserve tigers, but other animal life also seen here. Besides tigers, one can see here little/staty backed Forktails and Mountain/Rufousbellied Hawk-Eagles here. Inside Corbett Park, Blue Whistling Thrush and Red Jungle Fowl are immediate possibilities. But with some efforts one can spot Oriental White-eye, Jungle Owlet, Alexandrine Parakeet, Himalayan Swift let, Lesser Fish-Eagle or even Great Thick-knee, Stork-billed Kingfisher and many more. Mammals include Tiger, Indian Elephant, Chital, Sambhar, Muntjack (Barking Deer), Hog Deer and Common Langur.
More than 40,000 visitors enter the Corbett Tiger Reserve every year. Many tourists prefer to stay in the park to enjoy the endless and natural beauty. But most of them visit the park only during day time. But more visiting the park does not mean that you must see all the animals particularly tigers in 3-4 hours. So sometimes tigers appear after 2-3 days because here animals live in their natural habitat so it is very difficult to locate them. Secondly if the park is full then the tigers may not appear, so it would be safe to say that the tourists proceed through the ‘usual’ route, so that animals do not feel frightened and appear before the people.
So the Jim Corbett national park has great tourist importance and it attracts thousands of people every year and of course it has succeeded in preventing wildlife.
General Information
Area : 520.8sq.km.
Altitude : Between 400metre and 1,100metre.
Temperature : Summer: 46°C 19°C & Winter: 25°C 4°C
Main entry point : Dhangarhi, Main Tourist Centre & Dhikala.
Tourist Season : Nov. 15 to June 15
Nanda Devi National Park
Nanda Devi National Park is spread in over in an area of 630 sq. km., just next to the Nanda Devi Peak, which is the second highest mountain in India -7816 metre. It was established in 1980. The first men on record to have reached this Sanctuary, while yet in its pristine form, were the British Mountaineers Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman. The area had largely remained undisturbed till then, except for Tilman's successful attempt on Nanda Devi in 1936. However, from 1950 onwards the increasing number of treks & climbing expeditions to the area has somewhat affected the virgin character of this place. A unique mix of flora and fauna is characteristic of this park. The fauna includes the brown and Himalayan black bears, Himalayan thar, snow leopards, serow and chir pheasants.
General Information
Area : 630 sq. kms.
Altitude : Bewteen 2,400 mts. and 6,817 mts.
Raja Ji National Park
Surrounded by mountains, Raja Ji National Park is located in Dehradun, Uttaranchal. It is the biggest park of Uttaranchal. It is a perfect retreat with beautiful spots for picnic and excursions. Its pleasant climate adds further to its charm and makes it an attractive tourist destination. Established in 1996 on the edge of the Dehradun valley is Raja Ji National Park, covering an area of approx 820sq.km. The wildlife here includes elephant, tiger, panther, bear, chital, sambar, wild boar, kakar, python, monitor lizard and a large variety of avian fauna. You find many opportunities of viewing these animals in their natural habitat here.
General Information
Area : 820sq.km.
Altitude : 300 to 1350 metre.
Tourist Season : Nov.15 to June 15
Govind Wildlife Sanctuary
Established in 1955, Govind Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Uttarkashi district of Uttaranchal. The sanctuary is spread over in an area of 957,969 sq. km. The entire area of the sanctuary is subjected to light-heavy snowfall. The snow leopard inhabits the inner Himalayas above the altitude of 3500 metre. To improve the protection of this rare animal, the upper reaches of the sanctuary were notified as a National Park which covers an area of 472.08 sq. km.
Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary
The Binsar wild life sanctuary encompasses an area of about 50 sq. Kms in the middle The Binsar wild life sanctuary encompasses an area of about 50 sq. Km in the middle Himalaya near Almora. This tract is considered to be one of the most beautiful tracts in kumaon region. The slopes vary from step to very step. The terrain has been shaped by the action of running water. The climatic conditions prevailing in the Binsar sanctuary range from temperate to sub-arctic. Winters are very cold and Heavy snowfall is received.
The main forests types found in this sanctuary are listed below :
• Oak and moist mixed deciduous forests.
• Temperate moist coniferous forests including deodar and blue pine.
• Sub-alpine birch, fir and spruce forests.
• Sub-alpine pasture and scrub.
This sanctuary is the home of many high altitude species of animals and birds which includes the leopard, civet cat, serow, gharial, musk deer, brown bear and khaliji pheasant.
Askot Sanctury :
Pithoragarh, the picturesque hill district of Uttaranchal. It houses amidst its greens, the Askot Sanctuary, which adds more dazzle to its already splendid beauty. Lying in the lap of Kumaon Himalayas at a height of 5412 ft., snow-capped mountains peaks and fine temples are an integral part of Pithoragarh. The highlights of the sanctuary are snow leopards, Himalayan black bears, musk deers, snow cocks, tahra, bharals, monals, chirs, koklas, pheasants and chukors.
Wildlife of Garhwal
Nanda Devi National Park : In the vicinity of Nanda Devi (7817 m), the second highest peak in India, is situated the Nanda Devi National Park, which has some of the most unique high altitude flora and fauna in the world. The spectacular views, sylvan environment, and richness of biosphere make it quite dif ferent from the other wildlife sanctuaries of India. The park has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and In its vicinity are the Valley of Flowers, Badrinath Temple, and Hemkund Sahib. Though the park was notified only in 1982, it has a long history. W.W. Garden was the first person to reach this region in 1883, but his expedition to the Nanda Devi Peak failed to create any impact. In 1936, Tilman and N.E. Odell scaled the Nanda Devi and opened its vista for others to follow. This led to the region becoming a game sanctuary in 1939. The area of the park remained undisturbed until 1950's when organized expeditions for Nanda Devi started. To save the park from these disturbances, the Government of India declared the region a National Park in 1982 and later it was given the special status of a Biosphere Reserve.
Location :
The Nanda Devi National Park is located in the Indian state of Uttaranchal in the upper Himalayan ranges. A part of the Garhwal Himalayas, the park extends from the latitude 30°24' in the North to the longitude 79°53' in the East. The entry to the park is from Lata village around 23 km from Joshimath. Mountain peaks surround it from all sides except the west where it is bounded by an inaccessible gorge.
Best Time to Visit : Being in the high altitudes, Nanda Devi National Park has a distinct climate. For six months of the year, the region remains under a snow cover. For the rest of the year, the region has a dry climate with heavy rainfall from June to August. April to June are the months when the temperature increases a bit and they are the months when one can visit this place.
Tourists Attractions
Flora : The forest cover in this park is mainly restricted to the Rishi Gorge and the main vegetation is of fir, birch, rhododendron, and juniper. In the inner sanctuary, conditions are drier and near the Nanda Devi Glacier, there is almost no vegetation. From Ramani, the vegetation changes to alpine and only juniper scrubs are the dominating vegetation. The Juniper scrubs gradually give way to grasses, prone mosses, and lichens. In total, 312 floral species have been found here of which around 17 are considered rare.
Fauna :
Animal population of species like bharal, Himalayan tahr, serow, goral, snow leopard, Himalayan black bear, brown bear, leopard, common langur, Himalayan musk deer, and brown beer dominate the park area. Warblers, gresbreaks, rose finches, and ruby throat represent avifauna here. Approximately 80 species have been spotted in this park.
Places Around Nanda Devi National Park
Joshimath (at a distance of around 23 km from the Nanda Devi National Park), Valley of Flowers, Badrinath, Nanda Devi Peak and Hemkund Sahib. All these are wonderful tourist destinations in Uttaranchal.
How to Reach
By Air : The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant at Dehradun at a distance of around 295 km from the Nanda Devi National Park. There are regular flights to Delhi from this airport.
By Rail : The nearest railhead is Rishikesh at a distance of 276 km. Rishikesh is approachable by a metalled road from Joshimath.
By Road : Metalled roads are there till Joshimath from where one has to trek to reach this place. The place is inaccessible for six months of the year and it is only in summers that treks to this region can be organised.
We offer excellent accommodation facilities in and around Nanda Devi National Park.
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