Gorumara National Park at Dooars
Welcome To Gorumara National Park
Gorumara National Park is an important national park of North Bengal. It is situated just at the foothills of Eastern Himalaya in Terai region, on the flood plains in Murti, Raidak. Jaldhaka a Tributary of Brahmaputra flows just beside the National Park. Gorumara has mixed vegetation of forest & grassland. It is famous for its good population of One Horned Indian Rhino. Ministry of Environment and Forest has declared Gorumara as the best among the protected areas in India for the year 2009. Gorumara was declared a reserve forest in 1895. In 1949 it was given a status of a wild life sanctuary. Later on Gorumara was declared as National Park in 1994.
Gorumara National Park is spread over an area of approx 80 Square km. The forest area has come up as a tourist destination during the last decade. In recent years, there has been substantial increase in tourist arrival as well as infrastructure. Today the area around the forest has the largest concentration of tourist accommodation in Dooars. The number of jungle safari options has also increased over the years.
Wildlife in Gorumara National Park
Mammals: The Park is rich in large herbivores including Indian Rhinoceros , Gaur , Asian Elephant , Sloth bear , Chital , and Sambar Deer . Small herbivores include Barking deer , Hog deer and Wild boar . There is a comparative lack of large carnivores, with the only big cat being the Leopard . The park is not home to any resident population of Bengal Tigers , Indian Wild Dogs or Indian Wolf . Tigers are, however, occasionally spotted here. It does have numerous small carnivores including various civets, mongooses and small cats. The park has a large resident population of Wild boar , but the critically endangered Pygmy Hog has been reported from the park. It also has numerous rodents, including Giant Squirrels . The rare Hispid Hare has also been reported from the park.
Birds:Gorumara National Park is famous for its bird population – which includes brilliant submontane forest birds like the Scarlet Minivet , Sunbird , Asian Paradise Flycatcher , Spangled Drongo and Great Indian Hornbill . Numerous woodpeckers and pheasants inhabit the park. Peafowls are very common. The park is on the flyway of numerous migratory birds , including the rare Brahminy Duck .
Best Time to Visit Gorumara National Park
The best time to visit the national park is from October to May. The weather is delightful and favourable during this period, and you can enjoy your stay here without having to worry about the summer heat.
How to Reach Gorumara National Park?
Air: Bagdogra is the nearest airport to Gorumara. One can avail bus or cab from Bagdogra to get there.
Rail: Nearest Railway Station is Madarihat. The park is accessible from the rail stations at Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar from where one can hire a jeep/car through National Highway 31 to Lataguri, the gateway to the park. National Highway 31 which connects Siliguri and Guwahati passes through Lataguri, Chalsa and Nagrakata near the park.
Road: North Bengal State Transport Corporation Buses, Bhutan Govt. Buses, Mini Buses and Private Buses are available from Siliguri to Alipurduar via Madarihat.
