Gorumara National Park
Gorumara National Park | |
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Malbazar, Jalpaiguri | |
Coordinates | 26°42′N 88°48′E / 26.7°N 88.8°E |
Governing body | Government of India, Government of West Bengal |
Gorumara National Park (Pron: ˌgɔ:rʊˈmɑ:rə; Gorumara Jatio Uddan) is a
As of March 2021[update], the park is open for the tourists after staying closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
History
Having been a
Geography
Political geography
The park is located in the Malbazar subdivision of Jalpaiguri district, in the state of West Bengal in India.
Physical geography
Gorumara is located in the
The park is 79.99 km2 (30.88 sq mi) in area.
Climate
The temperature ranges from 10 to 21 °C (50 to 70 °F) from November to February, 24 to 27 °C (75 to 81 °F) from March to April and 27 to 37 °C (81 to 99 °F) from May to October. Rainfall mostly occurs between mid-May to mid-October and average annual rainfall is 382 cm (150 in).
History
The park forest bungalow dates back to the British Raj era, and contains a well-maintained log book from its inception, which makes for interesting reading. However Gorumara is encircled by many ethnic villages. More than 10,000 resident forest villagers derive their income from sources including employment in forest department activities, ecotourism, etc. Some of the villages are Sarswati, Budhuram, Bichabhanga, Chatua, Kailipur and Murti Forest Village.
Wildlife
Biomes
The park falls in the Indomalayan realm. Inside the park, the primary ecoregions and their corresponding to the biomes are:
- Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands of the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublandsbiome
- Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome
Both of these are typical of the Bhutan–Nepal–India Terai submontane region.
Flora
Typical flora include:
- Albizia saman lebbeck), and Bombax(also known as silk cotton tree or Shimul)
- Bamboo groves, terai grassland vegetation and tropical riverine reeds
Gorumara is home to numerous tropical orchids.
Fauna
The park has recorded fifty species of mammals, 194 species of birds, 22 species of reptiles, 7 species of turtles, 27 species of fish, and other macro and micro fauna.
Mammals
The park is rich in large herbivores including
Birds
Birds at the Gorumara National Park include submontane forest species like the
Reptiles and amphibians
The park is home to a wide variety of snake species, venomous and non-venomous, including the famous Indian python, and the king cobra.
Conservation issues
The major conservation focus of the park is to maintain a viable breeding community of Indian rhinoceroses. However, the lack of large predators has caused significantly worrying skews in the populations of large herbivores in the park. The rhinoceros male:female ratio, usually 1:3, shot up to 1:1 – resulting in male dominance fights and deaths. The gaur population also doubled in recent years, with risk of overgrazing.
Poaching was a major issue in the park in the 1970s and 1980s, but now Gorumara is one of the parks least threatened by poaching, with well-equipped rangers and with villagers benefiting from park visitors. However, grazing from fringe villages, and man-made brush fires are major issues at the park.
A recent issue at the park is the increasing number of train accidents involving elephants on railway lines near the park. Three elephants were killed in separate incidents on the same day in May 2006 in train mishaps. Indian Railways and park authorities are presently trying to address the problem. [1]
Park-specific information
Activities
There are numerous watchtowers at the park, facilitating wildlife observation. The watchtowers are:
- Jatraprasad Watch Tower: Named after a legendary elephant
- Rhino Observation Point: Watch tower in front of the Gorumara forest bungalow
- Chandrachur Watch Tower (Old Khunia Watch Tower): Near the Murti forest bungalow
- Chukchuki Bird-watching Point: Good for birding
There are no ranger-led or otherwise
One can also visit the adjoining forest villages to get acquainted with the lifestyle and culture of the villagers. A live show of the ethnic tribal dance can be seen every evening in Budhuram Forest Village.
One can visit the Lataguri Nature Interpretation Centre for an interpretive exhibit of the local natural history.
Lodging
The park forest bungalow is an old wooden rustic cottage which has a watchtower overlooking the salt reservoir.
Accommodations are also available in River Wood Forest Retreats, a 4 star resort overlooking the Gorumara national park and Murti River and at Gorumara Elephant Camp at Dhupjhora. One can stay in newly constructed cottages in the Kalipur village at the fringe of Gorumara built by the State Forest Department. There are many private resort at
Approach
- Nearest airport: Bagdogra, Darjeeling district, West Bengal about 80 km away
- Nearest railhead: broad gauge: New Jalpaiguri.
- Nearest highway: Lataguri, the entrance to the park.
- Nearest town: On the one side Lataguriis 8 km from the park's entrance & Ramsai is other part of the National Park.
- Nearest city: Mainaguri(Maynaguri) is 17 km from the park. The city of Jalpaiguri is 42 km to the south of the park.
- Best way to reach:Lataguri or Ramsai or tourist can reach New Maynaguri railway station by train ( 13141 Teesta Torsha Express, 15959 Kamrup Express, 12377-05725 Padatik Express- link). It is 20 minutes journey to Lataguri or Ramsai from Maynaguri.
13149 Kanchankannya Ex. reaches New Mal Jn every day. Bus or Taxi may be used by travelers to reach lataguri.
Other attractions
- Ethnic Forest Village Tourism
- Nature Interpretation Centre
Image gallery
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Bullock cart for tourists
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Tree house
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National Highway 717 penetrating the park
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A road inside the park
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Tourists walking towards Medla watch tower
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Orchids
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Way for tourists in Gorumara National Park
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Group of Rhinos
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Sunrise from Garumara National Park
See also
- Neora Valley National Park
- Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary
- Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary
- Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary
- Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary
- Gorumara National Park travel guide from Wikivoyage
References
- ^ Centre says Gorumara best among the wild. The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- Ministry of Forests and Environment Protected Areas website
- Gorumara National Park Brochure, (2005) published by Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Division-II, Jalpaiguri Directorate of Forests, Government of West Bengal.
- Says wild elephants of Gorumara are worshiped as Mahakala by some of the locals[failed verification]