The Chapramari wilderness camp on the fringes of Chapramari wildlife sanctuary in Panjhora is a unique place to stay during the sojourn for wildlife enthusiasts. Camping in the traditional cottages and savoring the view of the vast sanctuary is a dreamy stuff. The camp is maintained by West Bengal Government Forest Department and it is indeed the best option for visitors to stay. It enjoys a fantastic location within the forest. When you drive to reach the camp which is only a kilometer off the NH-31 highway you might spot wild animals enroute because the road runs through the middle of the forest cutting it into halves. Moreover, its location beside the Murti River offers various interesting sights for the visitor.
Category: Wildlife in West Bengal
Wildlife in West Bengal
South Khayerbari: Tiger and Leopard Rescue Center
South Khayerbari is famous for Tiger and Leopard Rescue Center located around 10 kilometers from Madarihat. During the ban of using wild animals in circuses around 11 tigers were rescued and kept at Khayerbari. The tigers were rescued from Olympic circus in Hooghly district and were initially kept at Hollong and later shifted to Khayerbari Rescue Center. The center comprises of 5 units each consisting of 3 cells which are capable of accommodating 15 tigers at the most. The forest officials are of the opinion that this is a unique endeavor in the entire north east to rescue and rehabilitate tigers and leopards which were used in circuses.
Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary
Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is located at the Eastern Himalayan foothills in Alipurduar sub-division of Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal. It covers an extensive area of 216 square kilometers and is a maze of grasslands, perennial streams, woods, extensive belts of tall grass and sandy river banks. The beauty of the forest lies in the fact that it is home to an amazingly wide variety of flora and fauna with some endangered species. The one horned rhinoceros in particular is the most famed one inhabiting the forest. Jaldapara was declared to be a wildlife sanctuary in 1914 to preserve the diverse flora and fauna of this land. Rivers Torsha, Malangi, Kalijhora, Sissmara and Chirakhawa have created banks along which the wildlife sustains itself.
Chilapata and Mendabari Jungle Camp
Chilapata Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the heart of Eastern Dooars at the Himalayan foothills. It serves as the corridor between Buxa Tiger Reserve National Park and Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary for Asian elephants and One Horned Rhinos. It is only 20 kilometers from Alipurduar and is an hour’s drive. Mendabari Jungle Camp is the eco tourism resort of Chilapata Forest. The camp is 2 kilometers inside the forest in Kodal basti or settlement and provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for adventure lovers to stay amidst vast jungle accompanied by wild animals 24 hours. If you wish to be thrilled to the core, this place is for you.
Buxa Fort and Tiger Reserve Forest
Buxa Tiger Reserve is located in the foothills of Bhutan covering an area of 790 square kilometers and is of course famous for tigers, civet and red jungle fowl. The forest was declared as a tiger reserve in 1983 and received the title of National Park in 1992. Buxa Tiger Reserve forest is the largest in North Bengal and is home to second largest tiger population in entire West Bengal after Sunderbans. There are many species of mammals, reptiles, birds and an amazing collection of medicinal plants and orchids. It is only 24 kilometers from Alipurduar and about 180 kilometers from Siliguri, reckoned as the gateway of Bengal. Certain parts of the forest have still remained unexplored due to inaccessible terrain.
28 Mile is within the Buxa Tiger Reserve forest
28 Mile is a small settlement within the Buxa Tiger Reserve with 110 households. The number of households has increased considerably since 1960. Homestays are available for tourists at the 28 Mile Basti as it is known in the local language. There is also a well furnished cottage at 28 Mile serving guests who visit Buxa Tiger Reserve. Buxa is one of the largest forest reserves in West Bengal and is home to Asian tigers whose population is only second to that of Sunderbans. The importance of Buxa increased manifold in the year 1992 when it was declared to be a national park.
Jayanti forest village inside the Buxa Tiger Reserve
Jayanti is a small forest village inside the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal. Located along the banks of Jayanti River, this is the only settlement inside a forest area where you can spot tigers. This is where visitors can enjoy the thrill overnight. The river forms a natural barrier with the Bhutan hills on the other side of the forest. Known popularly as the ‘Queen of Dooars’, the Jayanti village is a pristine place with a wide variety of flora and fauna. Free from the pollution of city life, this vast green zone is bound to take your breath away. Staying in the village within the Buxa Tiger Reserve is a memorable experience for any traveler.
Suntalekhola River Camp at an altitude of around 750 meters
Suntalekhola is a small hamlet located at an altitude of around 750 meters in the Dooars Himalayan foothills of West Bengal. It lies about 4 kilometers from Samsing and is also the south eastern entry point of Neora Valley National Park. The WBFDC cottages or river camp is the best place to stay in Suntalekhola because it offers unhindered view of the beautiful green landscape and the high mountains. A number of trekking routes originate from Suntalekhola most of which lead to the National Valley National Park. This is an added attraction for the adventurous souls.
Khunia junction just outside the forest interconnects eastern and western Dooars
Khunia forest is basically a vast stretch of grassland with a huge watchtower standing almost in the middle of it. It is a part of the vast expanse of jungle covering the banks of Murti River from Latagur-Chalsa-Murti-Dhupjhora-Batabri-Ramsai-Kalipur and Neora river bed. Khunia lies on the way to Chapramari from Gorumara. The distance of Chapramari from Khunia is only 1 kilometer. The watchtower inside the forest is known as the Chandrachur watchtower which was formerly known as Khunia watchtower. This watchtower is famous for offering views of the entire expanse of the forest and also animals like bisons and elephants.
Chukchuki Watchtower or Chukchuki Birding Point inside the Gorumara National Park
Chukchuki Watchtower is also known as Chukchuki Birding Point inside the Gorumara National Park. It is an ideal vantage point for watching myriad birds and photographing them. Tourists visiting Gorumara are taken to the watchtower for bird watching either on elephant back or by a car. It is a bird watcher’s paradise where one can spot local as well as migratory birds. The watchtower is situated towards the end of the park and provides perfect view of the birds. It is one among many other watchtowers in the park from where visitors can spot different animals like rhinos for which the park is famous.