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Dudhwa National Park :India February 14, 2006

Dudhwa National Park comprises of sal forests, marshes and grasslands which harbour a wide variety of wildlife. The Park is famous for the reintroduced one horned rhino and swamp deer (barasingha). Dudhwa has the distinction of having the largest surviving population of this endangered species, their presence rendered more spectacular by the propensity for segregation of the antlered males. Bird life is prolific - being a marshland, it provides a natural habitat for the winter migratory birds. An ideal paradise for birders to see the Lesser Bengal Florican and Swamp Partridge - both these species are on the red alert list.

A Tiger Reserve since 1879, Dudhwa became a National Park in 1977 and adopted the Project Tiger in 1988. Although the Tigers at the Park are numerous, sightings are rare due to the thick forest cover of the area. Besides Tigers, Leopards, Hispid Hares and the Swamp Deer (Barasingha) and Rhinos thrive amidst the vegetation. The marshlands are especially inviting for about 400 species of resident and migratory birds including the Swamp Partridge, Great Slaty Woodpecker and Bengal Florican.

Dudhwa’s birds, in particular, are a delight for any avid bird watcher- plenty of painted storks, sarus cranes, owls, barbets, woodpeckers, minivets and many more, including some rare species like the Bengal florican. Much of the park’s avian fauna is aquatic in nature, and is found around Dudhwa’s lakes- especially Banke Tal.

Dudhwa had, in the recent past, been facing problems of encroachment and poaching, both of which have had an adverse effect on the park’s ecology. Swamp deer populations, especially, had fallen, but recent surveys show that the park’s recovering, slowly but surely.

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