Hello Aspirers,
This post is regarding India’s National Parks & Wildlife Sancturies with the all the required details which could be asked in Upcoming exams under Static GK. So, read and memorize it and secure marks easily in this section. We shall be giving you the details in manner which will be easy for you all to memorize. So lets travel the amazing National Parks of India. This useful notes has been christned by one of our ardent readers Winkey, we wish her luck and good fortune for her future endeavors.
Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park:
A wildlife sanctuary, is a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that provides protection for species from hunting, predation or competition, it is a protected area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected.
National parks in India are IUCN category II protected areas. India‘s first national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand. By 1970, India only had five national parks. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard the habitats of conservation reliant species. Further federal legislation strengthening protections for wildlife was introduced in the 1980s. As of July 2015, there were 103 national parks encompassing an area of 40,500 km2 (15,600 sq mi) , comprising 1.23% of India’s total surface area
Now lets delve into a little deep to get more insights of these and to read more about these:
JIM CORBETTE PARK–
Establishment– 1936
Location- Nainital, RamNagar, Uttrakhand
Area Covered– 1318 square km
Famous For– Deer, Bengal Tiger, Elephant, Fish Owl, Golden Jackal, Green Bee Eaters, Eagle, etc.
About-
Jim Corbett National Park, which is a part of the larger Corbett Tiger Reserve, a Project Tiger Reserve lies in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The magical landscape of Corbett is well known and fabled for its tiger richness. This unique tiger territory is best known as the father who gave birth of the Project Tiger in India to protect the most endangered species and the Royal of India called Tigers.It covers area of hills, riverine belts, marshy depressions, grasslands and a large lake.
Sal, Khair and Sissoo are the most visible trees found in Corbett. Though, there are several other species that contribute to the sound diversity of Jim Corbett are scattered throughout the park. Chir Pine is the only conifer found in the park. Some part of the Corbett is dominated by Bamboo forests. The main species is Male Bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) having clustered stout stems and shining papery stem sheaths. Bamboos follow a peculiar flowering process. All bamboos in a forest flower together at the same time once in several decades. After flowering, fruiting and dispersal of seeds, all individuals die together.
Jim Corbett NP has always been a land of trumpet, roar and songs. Jim Corbett NP is one of the most preserved wildlife sanctuaries in India. The Fauna is very famous. It is one of the major tourist attractions of the Indian state of now Uttrakhand, and one of the major tourist attractions.
It is nestled in Himalayan. Being in the lap of the nature, environmental conditions are perfect for the preservation and growth of various species of fauna in Corbett NP. These climatic conditions make Corbett safe habitation of rare and endangered wildlife species.
It is heaven for not only tiger but also for its preys. They are four kinds of deer, wild bear and some other animals. Leopard can be spotted in the hilly area of the park. Leopard cat, jungle cat and fishing cat are some of the nocturnal cats that can be located. While lower regions of the park are hime to sloth bear, the Himalayan black bear can be spotted only in higher hill. Dole or wild dole and jackal can be seen in the southern regions of the park. One of the major attractions is Elephant. The long-snouted, fish eating gharial crocodile porcupine and blacknaped hare. The langur and rhesus monkeys can be seen throughout the area.
Rajaji National Park-
Establishment- 1983
Location– Dehradun, Uttrakhand
Area Covered– 820 sq km
Famous For – Asian elephant, Bengal tiger, Leopard, Jungle cat, Striped hyena, Goral, Indian hare, Sloth bear, Himaliyan Black bear, King Cobra, Jackal, Phython, Lizard.
About-
Rajaji National Park is situated in the state of Uttarakhand, now known as Uttarakhand. The picturesque beauty and rich biodiversity of the park serve as its major attractions for both nature lovers as well as wildlife enthusiasts. In the year 1983, Rajaji Wildlife Sanctuary of Uttaranchal was merged with Motichur and Chilla wildlife sanctuaries and made into Rajaji National Park. The park has been named after Late Sri C. Rajgopalachari (also known as Rajaji), a famous freedom fighter and first governor general of India . Rajaji National Park of India spreads over an area of 820.42 sq km and is open to visitors only from Mid-November to Mid-June.
Rajaji National Park is situated along the hills and foothills of Shiwalik ranges in the Himalayan foothills and represent the Shiwalik eco-system. Combining three sanctuaries, namely Chilla, Motichur and Rajaji – Rajaji National Park is spread over the Pauri Garwal, Dehradun and Saharanpur districts of Uttarakhand. The Motichur and Rajaji sanctuaries are contiguous, and are separated from the Chilla Sanctuary to the south-east by the Ganges River and the Chilla River.
Rajaji is home to avian species which are found in forested foothills and in open grassland. It’s location in a transition zone between temperate western Himalaya and central Himalaya enhances the species diversity and consequently the viewing prospects.
Kaziranga National Park
Establishment– 1908
Area– 430 km square
Location– Golaghat and Nalgaon districts
Famous For – Snakes, Lizard, Turtle, Crocodile, Indian Elephant, One horned rhinocerous.
About-
Kaziranga National Park- a world heritage site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world’s great One-horned rhinoceros. Kaziranga also boasts the highest density of tigers among the protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. Though sighting of tigers are difficult because of the tall grasses that provide excellent camouflage, their presence can be felt everywhere by way of pug marks, kills and territorial markings. The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo and swamp deer.
Kaziranga National Park is open daily from 1st November to 30thApril i.e. for 6(six)months, unless due to the rains in any exceptional year the park has to be closed earlier by the management for safety or unless census may be scheduled. Park may remain open partially on the months of October and May subject to weather and road conditions.
It is one of the last areas in eastern India undistributed by a human presence. It is inhabited by the worlds largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, as well as many mammals, including tigers, elephants, panthers and bears, and thousands of birds.
The flora in Kaziranga chiefly constitute of three major types : alluvial inundated grasslands comprising of tall thickets of elephant grass and short grasses, tropical wet evergreen forests and tropical semi-evergreen forests. But, the main characterisitics of flora in Kaziranga are the dense and tall elephant grass intermixed by small swamplands left behind by the receding floodwaters of the river Brahmaputra.
A moderate climate combined with the availability of enough food resources the growth and survival of a unique and diverse wildlife in Kaziranga National Park.
Apart from being a rich natural habitat for the great Indian One-hornee Rhinos. It also has a sizable population of the Wild Buffalos and Indian Elephants, Bheels. Kaziranga NP also shelters about 15 species of India’s threatened mammals.
The Safari Will be Continued…