Here is the list of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park in West Bengal. West Bengal has 6 notified National Parks and 16 notified Wildlife sanctuaries. This topic is very important for WBCS and various WBPSC exams.
Introduction
• The state of West Bengal is the 4th most populous state and the 14th largest state by area in India.
• It is situated in the Eastern region of India.
• West Bengal is rich in many forests and wildlife wings.
West Bengal is famous for
☞ Royal Bengal Tiger in the Gangetic delta of Sundarbans.
☞ The Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros grazing in the Terai/ Dooars grassland.
☞ The leopards are lurking in the foothills of the Himalayas.
☞ The Red Panda is resting in the bamboo groves of the Himalayas.
Number of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in West Bengal
• The large varieties of flora and fauna of West Bengal possess the combined characteristics of the Himalayan, sub-Himalayan and Gangetic plain.
• West Bengal has 4692 sq. Km of forests under the Protected Area (PA) network is 39.50% of the State’s recorded forest area.
• At present West Bengal has 6 National Parks and 16 Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• The latest notified Wildlife Sanctuaries of West Bengal is the Pakhi Bitan Wildlife Sanctuaries, located in Jalpaiguri District having an area of 14.09 sq. Km.
✅ Also, see the National Parks in India.
List of National Parks in West Bengal
| National Park Name | District | Year | Area (Sq km) | Famous Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Gorumara National Park | Jalpaiguri | 1994 | 79.45 | Indian Rhinoceros |
| 2. Jaldapara National Park | Alipurduar | 2014 | 216.51 | One horned rhinoceros Bengal Florican |
| 3. Singalila National Park | Darjeeling | 1992 | 78.60 | Red Panda Pangolin Pika |
| 4. Neora Valley National Park | Kalimpong | 1986 | 159.89 | Red Panda Musk Deer Himalayan flying squirrel |
| 5. Sundarban National Park | North 24 Parganas And South 24 Parganas |
1984 | 1330.10 | Royal Bengal Tiger Salt water Crocodile |
| 6. Buxa National Park | Alipurduar | 1992 | 117.10 | Tigers Dhole |
List of Wildlife Sanctuaries in West Bengal
Currently, West Bengal has 6 national parks and 15 wildlife sanctuaries.
| Wildlife Sanctuaries | District Name |
|---|---|
| 1. Ballabhpur Wildlife Sanctuary | Birbhum |
| 2. Bibhutibhushan Wildlife Sanctuary | North 24 Parganas |
| 3. Bethuadahari Wildlife Sanctuary | Nadia |
| 4. Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary | Jalpaiguri |
| 5. Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary | South 24 Parganas |
| 6. Haliday Island Wildlife Sanctuary | South 24 Parganas |
| 7. Jore Pokhri Wildlife Sanctuary | Darjeeling |
| 8. Lothian Island Wildlife Sanctuary | South 24 Parganas |
| 9. Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary | Darjeeling |
| 10. Buxa Wildlife Sanctuary | Alipurduar |
| 11. Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary | Uttar Dinajpur |
| 12. Sajnakhali Wildlife Sanctuary | South 24-Parganas |
| 13. Senchal Wildlif Sanctuary | Darjeeling |
| 14. Ramnabagan Wildlife Sanctuary | Purba Bardhaman |
| 15. West Sundarban Wildlife Sanctuary | South 24 Parganas |
| 16. Pakhibitan Wildlife Sanctuary | Jalpaiguri |
Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park in West Bengal map
Map Source wikimedia
Details about the National Park in West Bengal
Singalila National Park
Location
☞ Singalila National Park is on the Singalila Ridge in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal.
☞ It is bordered on the north by the state of Sikkim and on the west by the country of Nepal.
Date of declaration as a National Park
☞ The park was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1986.
☞ and was made an Indian National Park in 1992.
Flora
☞ Thick bamboo, oak, magnolia, rhododendron forest, and Himalayan Cobra Lilies (Arisaema).
Fauna
☞ Small mammals, including Red Panda, Leopard Cat, Barking Deer, Yellow-throated Marten, Wild Boar, Pangolin, and Pika.
☞ Larger mammals include the Himalayan Black Bear, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Serow, and the Takin.
☞ Rare and exotic bird species, including the Scarlet Minivet, Kalij Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, and Satyr Tragopan.
Neora Valley National Park
Location
☞ Neora Valley National Park is a national park in Kalimpong district, West Bengal.
Flora
☞ The forests consist of mixed species like rhododendrons, bamboo, oak, ferns, sal, etc.
☞ The Valley also has numerous species of orchids.
Fauna
☞ The fauna consists of such endangered species as the clouded leopard, red panda, and musk deer.
☞ There are five other species: civet, black bear, sloth bear, golden cat, goral, serow, barking deer, Himalayan flying squirrel, and Thar.
Other points
☞ Rechela Danda is the highest point of the Neora Valley National Park.
☞ Neora Valley National Park covers an area of 88 sq km.
☞ It is linked to the Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary of East Sikkim district as well as the forests of Samtse District, Bhutan via a thick cover of forests.
Gorumara National Park
Location
☞ Gorumara National Park is located in the Malbazar subdivision in the Jalpaiguri district, in the state of West Bengal.
☞ Gorumara is located in the Eastern Himalayas’ submontane Terai belt.
☞ The park is located on the flood plains of the Murti River and Raidak River.
☞ The major river in the park is the Jaldhaka River, part of the Brahmaputra river system.
☞ The park is very close to the Jaldapara Wildlife Reserve and Chapramari Wildlife Reserve
Flora
☞ Typical flora includes Sal forests with Common Teak, Rain Tree and Silk Cotton (Shimul or Bombax malabaricum) trees and Bamboo groves.
Fauna
☞ Reptiles and amphibians, including the Indian Python, and the King Cobra.
☞ Birds include the Scarlet Minivet, Sunbird, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Spangled Drongo and Great Indian Hornbill.
☞ Important animal species include Indian Rhinoceros, Gaur, Asian Elephant, Sloth bear, Chital, and Sambar Deer.
Date of declaration as a National Park
☞ Gorumara has been a reserve forest since 1895.
☞ The park was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1949
☞ It was declared an Indian National Park on January 31, 1994.
Buxa National Park
Location
☞ Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) / Wildlife Sanctuary or National Park is located in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal.
Boundary of BTR
☞ The northern boundary of the BuxaTiger Reserve runs along the international border with Bhutan.
☞ The Sinchula hill range lies all along the northern side of Buxa tiger reserves and the Eastern boundary touches that of the Assam State.
☞ It is the easternmost extension of extreme bio-diverse North-East India & represents a highly endemic Indo-Malayan region.
☞ The Phipsu Wildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan is contiguous to the North of Buxa Wildlife Sanctuary.
☞ Manas National Park lies on the east of the Buxa Wildlife Sanctuary.
☞ Thus, Buxa Wildlife Sanctuary is an international corridor for elephant migration between India and Bhutan.
Flora
☞ The main species of Buxa BTR constitute trees like Sal, Champ, Gamar, Simul, Chikrasi, etc.
Fauna
☞ The main species include Asian elephants, tigers, Gaur, Wild boar, Sambar, and Wild dog (Dhole).
☞ Some endangered species found in BTR are the Indian Tiger, Asian Elephant, Leopard cat, Bengal florican, Regal python, Chinese Pangolin, Hispid hare, Hog deer, etc.
Sundarbans National Park
Location
☞ The area of Sundarbans National Park is spread over the two districts of West Bengal namely North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas.
☞ Major parts of Sundarbans National Park lie in South 24 Parganas.
Flora and Fauna
☞ Mangrove forests densely cover the Sundarbans delta.
☞ Sundarbans are derived from the Sundari ( Heritiera fomes) tree found here.
☞ Sundarbans National Park is famous for the Royal Bengal tiger.
☞ It is also home to various bird, reptile and invertebrate species, including the salt-water crocodile.
Important Date
☞ The Sundarban National Park was declared the core area of the Sundarban Tiger Reserve in 1973.
☞ It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1977.
☞ On 4 May 1984, it was declared a national park.
☞ It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1987
☞ It has been designated as a Ramsar site since 2019.
☞ It has been considered a World Network of Biosphere Reserve (Man and Biosphere Reserve) since 1989.
Jaldapara National Park
Location
☞ The Jaldapara National Park is in the Alipurduar District of northern West Bengal.
☞ Jaldapara National Park is located on the banks of the Torsa River.
Fauna
☞ The Jaldapara National Park is famous for the population of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros.
☞ The other animals consist of Royal Bengal Tigers, barking deer, spotted deer and hog deer, wild pigs, and bison.
☞ It is one of the few places in India, where the Bengal Florican is sighted.
Flora
☞ The forest is mainly covered with tall elephant grasses.
☞ The nearby Chilapata Forests is an elephant corridor between Jaldapara and the Buxa Tiger Reserve. Nearby is the Gorumara National Park.
Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary was set up in 1915 in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India
☞ The total area of the sanctuary is 38.60 sq. Km.
☞ It is situated between 1,500m. to over 2,600m elevation.
☞ This sanctuary forms the main water supply source for Darjeeling town.
Important Plant species
☞ Important plant species are Kapasi, Katus, Kawla, Champ, Mating bamboo and ferns etc.
Important Bird species
☞ Important bird species are Large yellow-naped woodpecker, Tickel’s Golden back Woodpecker, Emerald Cuckoos, Black-backed KhaJij Pheasant, Red Jungle Fowl, Hornbills, Imperial Pigeons, Green Pigeons, Thrushes, Babblers, Sunbirds etc.
Important Bird species
☞ Important animal species are Himalayan jackals, Wild Dogs, Barking deer, wild pigs jungle cats, etc.
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the foothills of the Himalayas, between the Teesta and Mahananda rivers.
☞ The Sanctuary is situated in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.
Important mammalian species
☞ The important mammalian species include Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian elephants, Indian bison, spotted deer, barking deer, Himalayan black bear, leopard including clouded leopard etc.
Other Points
☞ Sukna, the gateway to the sanctuary, is only 13 km from Siliguri and 28 km from Bagdogra airport.
☞ In 1959, it became a sanctuary mainly to protect the Indian bison and royal Bengal tiger, which were facing the threat of extinction.
Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ The Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.
☞ It is located on the banks of the Murti River.
Origin of name
☞ The name Chapramari originated from “Chopra” which means a type of fish and “Mari” which means abundant.
Fauna
☞ Chapramari is famous for its elephant population.
☞ Gaur (commonly known as Indian Bison) is common around this region.
☞ Important bird species of this sanctuary are Green Magpie, Indian Treepie, Thrush, Scarlet Minivet, Hill Mayna, White Breasted Kingfisher, Hornbill, Large-headed Headed Fishing Eagle, Adjutant Stork, etc.
☞ The large and little Cormorant, Darter, & Egret are the most common water birds. Migratory birds include the Brahminy and Teals.
Flora
☞ Several Orchids belonging to the genus Acampe, Bulbophyllum, Chiloschista, Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Eria, Gastrochilus, Luisia, Oberonia, etc., are very common here.
Other Important Points
☞ The Chapramari forest is located near the NH31 connecting the northeast with the rest of India.
☞ Murti River flows along the western boundary of the
Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary.
☞ Chapramari is close to the Gorumara National Park near Chapramari.
Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary is located at the confluence of the Matla and Gumdi rivers, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India.
Fauna
☞ The most noteworthy bird species are spotted billed pelican, cotton teal, herring gull, Caspian tern, grey heron, large egret, night heron, open-billed stork, white ibis, common kingfisher, brahminy kite and paradise flycatcher.
Important Points
☞ Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Sunderbans ecosystem.
☞ It was set up as a sanctuary in 1976.
Haliday Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ Haliday Island Wildlife Sanctuary is in the famous Sunderbans in South 24 Parganas District in West Bengal.
Important Points
☞ It was notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary in the year 1976.
☞ It is a part of the ‘Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve’, with the Sundarbans region officially becoming a ‘Biosphere Reserve’ officially in 1989.
Flora and Fauna
☞ Usually, mangrove species flourish, along with sweet water species like casuarina and Karanja.
☞ Principal animals are chital, wild pigs, Rhesus monkeys & barking deer. Malta River surrounding the Sanctuary has plenty of fish.
Lothian Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ Lothian Island Wildlife Sanctuary is in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India.
☞ It is situated inside Sundarbans at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal and River Saptamukhi.
Flora and Fauna
☞ Principal tree species are Keora, Baen, Goran, etc.
☞ It is home to estuarine crocodiles, Olive Ridley Sea Turtles, spotted deer, Jungle Cats, and Rhesus Macaque.
☞ A variety of birds like the black-capped kingfisher, Curlew, white-bellied sea-eagle, Tern, and Whimbrel can be found here.
☞ The marshes of the island harbour estuarine Crocodile.
Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ It is situated near Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Other Name
☞ Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary is popularly known as Kulik Bird Sanctuary.
Other Important Points
☞ The Kulik River flows around part of the sanctuary and acts as the boundary in its eastern and southern parts.
☞ The shape of the sanctuary is that of the English alphabet “U”.
☞ The bird sanctuary is home to 164 species of birds, and some 70,000 to 80,000 migratory birds visit the sanctuary annually.
Flora and Fauna
☞ The migratory species include open-bill storks, egrets, night herons, and cormorants, which are very common here.
☞ The resident birds are kites, flycatchers, owls, kingfishers, woodpeckers, drongoes, etc.
☞ One of the important species of this WLS is the Asian openbill, whose main diet is apple snail.
☞ The global population of the Asian openbill is estimated to be 130,000 by Wetland International, and around half of them live in Asia.
☞ The species is known to breed in a colony, called heronry.
Chintamoni Kar Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ It is located in Narendrapur, South 24Pgs, West Bengal, India, near Narendrapur Ramkrishna Mission.
Other names
☞ This is also known as Kayal-r Bagan.
☞ Its old name was Narendrapur Wildlife Sanctuary.
☞ The Sanctuary was named after the noted sculpture Sri Chintamoni Kar.
Date of declaration as a WLS
Originally notified as a sanctuary in 1982.
Main Tree Species
☞ The main trees are mango, Jackfruit, Coconut, Tamarind, Guava, Dumur, Safeda, Chatun etc.
Important Bird Species
☞ After over a century, the large-billed Reed Warbler is a bird rediscovered in India.
Important Animal Species
☞ Important Animal Species of Chintamani Kar Bird Sanctuary are jungle cats, Civet cats, Water monitor Lizards, Jackals and the mongoose.
Bibhutibhusan Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ The Bibhutibhusan Wildlife Sanctuary is located in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
☞ The forest is about 100 km from Kolkata and 25 km from Bongaon.
☞ It is situated on the banks of the Ichamati River.
Other Name
☞ Bibhutibhusan Wildlife Sanctuary is formerly known as Parmadan Forest.
Important Species Name
☞ It has more than 200 deer, birds, rabbits, and langurs.
Jorepokhri Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ Jore Pokhri Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Darjeeling District, West Bengal.
☞ It is about 20 kilometres away from Darjeeling town.
☞ The nearest border is the Northeast Nepal border.
Important Species
☞ It is the habitat of some high-altitude animals like the Himalayan Salamander (Tylototriton verrucosus)
☞ Himalayan Salamander is locally known as ‘Gora’.
☞ Other species are swans and monkeys.
Main features
☞ The main feature of Jore Pokhri is the twin lakes after which the place is named.
☞ Jore means two in Nepali and Pokhri means Lake.
Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary is located near Bolpur Santiniketan in the Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal.
☞ This area lies between two mighty rivers the Damodar and the Ajay.
Popular for
☞ Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary is well known for Deer Park.
Important Species
☞ Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for its deer population, including blackbuck and spotted deer.
☞ Other animals include jackals, foxes, and a variety of water birds.
Bethuadahari Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ The Bethuadahari Wildlife Sanctuary is in the Bethuadahari town of Nadia District, West Bengal, India.
☞ The sanctuary is beside National Highway 12 (old no NH 34).
Important animal Species
☞ Some common species are spotted deer, jackal, Bengal fox, porcupine, and langur.
☞ Other species include Indian Cuckoos, pythons, parakeets, Barbets, and smaller birds.
☞ Another attraction of the forest is the rock python.
Important Plant Species
☞ The common trees found here are shal, teak, Arjun, Indian rosewood, and bamboo.
Ramnabagan Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ The Ramnabagan Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Bardhaman, West Bengal, India.
Animals found here
☞ The animals found include spotted deer and common langur.
Important Trees
☞ Common tree species include teak, sal, kadbels, dumur, and jam.
West Sundarban Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
☞ The West Sundarban Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in South 24-Parganas.
☞ The West Sundarban WLS is the 15th Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal.
Important Flora
☞ A vast track of rich mangrove forests lies in this Sanctuary.
Important Fauna
☞ Tiger, Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Estuarine Crocodile, Water Monitor Lizard, King Cobra, etc.
Some Important Questions About National Park in West Bengal
Question 1: Name two national parks in West Bengal.
Answer: Among the 6 national parks in West Bengal, the two famous National Parks are Gorumra National Park (famous for Indian rhinoceros) and Sundarbans National Park (famous for the Royal Bengal Tiger).
Question 2: What is the largest national park in West Bengal?
Answer: Sundarban National Park (1330 sq. km)
Question 3: Which is the oldest national park in West Bengal?
Answer: Gorumara National Park (It was given official status as an Indian National Park on 31 January 1992)
Question 4: Which is the smallest national park in West Bengal?
Answer: Singalila National Park (total area 78.60 sq km)
Question 5. Which is the first national park in West Bengal?
Answer: Sundarban National Park (In 1984 it was declared a national park)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Answer: As of 2022, there are 6 national parks in West Bengal
Answer: Total 6 national parks
Answer: As of 2022, there are 16 wildlife sanctuaries in West Bengal
Answer: West Sundarban Wildlife Sanctuary
List of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park in West Bengal 2023 PDF
