Dudhwa National Park
Dudhwa National Park: Uttar Pradesh
Further east along the Terai, the Dudhwa National Park, which is also a Tiger Reserve, is localted in the district of Lakhimpur - Kheri, very close to the Nepal border. The 498.29 sq.km. Park has fine sal forests and extensive grasslands.
Tall coarse grass, sometimes-forming impenetrable thickets, swampy depressions and lakes characterise the wetlands of the Park. These are the habitat of large numbers of barasingha, the magnificent swamp deer, noted for their multi-tined antlers (bara-12 singha-horn). These in turn support the predators-the tiger and leopard. Though the PARK has a fair population of tigers, they are rarely seen owing to the nature of the forest cover.
The grasslands are also ideal terrain for the Indian one horned rhinoceros. In an exciting project undertaken in 1984, a number of rhinos were trans located here from Assam and Nepal, in an attempt to extend their habitats and to exclude the possibility of wiping out entire populations through diseas and epidemics. Presently, 13 rhinos can be seen in Dhudwa.
Other inhabitants include the sloth bear, jackal, wild pig and the lesser cats- fishing cat, leopard cat, jungle cat and civet. Dudhwa has also an abundance of birds. There are spectacular painted storks, black and white necked storks, sarus cranes and varied night birds of prey, ranging from the great Indian horned owl to the jungle owlet, Colorful woodpeckers, barbets, kingfishers, minivets, bee eaters and bulbuls flit through the forest canopy.
