Dudhwa National Park

Location - Dudhwa National Park is located in the Lakhimpur-Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh in India.
Nearest Town - Palia which is at a distance of 10 kms.

About Dudhwa National Park
Located in the Terrai region of Indo Nepal border at the foothills of the Himalayas, the Dudhwa National park stretches to an area of 814 sq kms with 614 sq kms being the core area. The southern part of the national park is bordered by River Suheli (Indo - Nepal border being the northern boundary). The area was a tiger reserve till 1879, however, it was declared a national park in 1977. In 1988, the park initiated the Project Tiger.

The terrain of Dudhwa National park is extremely various with grasslands, swampy marshes and thick sal forests occupying the area of the forest simultaneously.

At a point of time, Dudhwa National Park was inflicted with the problem of ever increasing encroachment and poaching. However, due to the sincere efforts of the forest officials and the government, there has been a stop to such activities.Best Time to Visit.

The park is open for public visit between November to June, however the best time to go there is between November to May. Since the park is located on the foothills of Himalayas, it is important that tourists carry along their warm clothes if visiting during the winters.

Wildlife of Dudhwa National Park

Flora
The tropical semi-evergreen forest, tropical moist deciduous forest, riparian and swamp forest and dry deciduous forests are home to numerous trees prominent among which are Shorea robusta, Terminalis tomentosa, Adina cordifolia, Terminalia belerica, Eugenia jambolana, Dalbergia sissoo, and Bombax malabaricum. The grasslands that are interspersed with forests are commonly known as phantas

Fauna
The topography of the park ensures the presence of variety of flora and fauna. The most significant of these animals are tigers, leopards (only 4), swamp deers or the barasingha, one horned Indian rhino, Indian elephant, and hispid hares. Apart from these sloth bear and jackal, civet, jungle cat and fishing cat are also found in abundance.

The tigers in this national park are pretty decent in this park (around 101), though still tourists need a lot of luck to spot them. Most of the time they vanish into the thick forests of the park and hence do not please the tourists who wish to see them. The one horned rhino from Assam and Nepal was introduced in this park in 1984 in order to increase their fast depleting number.

Reptiles
The 16 species of reptile population include the pythons, monitor lizards. king cobras, flying lizards, flying squirrels, flying snakes and also flying frogs. These are some of the most amazing living beings of the sanctuaryAvi Fauna

For an avid watcher of birds, Dudhwa National Park is a virtual paradise. The park houses around 400 species of residents as well as migratory birds. These birds include painted storks, sarus cranes, owls, barbets, woodpeckers, minivets, Swamp Partridge, Great Slaty Woodpecker and Bengal Florican. The swamp Patridges and the Bengal Florican are included in a red alert list.

For a tourist visiting the national park, all these birds are extremely delightful and hence not to be missed.

Trips in Dudhwa National Park
Safaris - Tourists can hire Jeeps and mini buses from the Park office to go round. Elephant rides are also available and make for a hugely entertaining trip round the park.

Reaching There

• By Air - Located at a distance of 250 kms, Lucknow is the nearest airport for reaching Dudhwa National park.
• By Rail - The nearest railhead is in Dudhwa which is 4 kms from the park. Other railheads nearby are Palia at a distance of 10 kms and Mailani at a distance of 37 kms.
• By Road - Regular buses from Lakhimpur Kheri, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly and Delhi reach Palia from where frequent buses reach Dudhwa.