WILD TRAILS IN INDIA

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Part of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve,
Dudhwa National Park, notified
in 1977, is known for its sizeable
population of the endangered
predator, the tiger, and its equally
endangered prey, the barasingha
or swamp deer. The reserve
comprises three other Protected
Forest Areas: Kishanpur WLS,
Katerniaghat WLS, and Pilibhit
Tiger Reserve. River Sharada acts
as a boundary between Kishanpur
Wildlife Sanctuary and Dudhwa
National Park.
Bound by river Mohan to its north
and Suheli to the south, the ecology
of Dudhwa National Park, with
its marshy grasslands, ample
water bodies, plenty of grassy
camouflage and food, is perfect for
a flourishing wildlife. The fauna in
Dudhwa National Park is the last
of its kind le! in the Indo-Gangetic
tract of northern India (RL Singh,
Ecology of Dudhwa). Overrun by
3-6 m long elephant grass during

26

the monsoons, the park is home

to the endangered one-horned
rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, leopard,
and the nearly extinct hispid hare
and Bengal florican.
Once found in large numbers here,
the rhinoceros became extinct
in Dudhwa by 1978. In 1985, six
rhinos from Pabitora Wildlife
Sanctuary, Assam, and four young
adult female rhinos from Chitwan
National Park, Nepal, were
brought here. Today there are over
30 one-horned rhinos in the park.
Close by, en route to LakhimpurDudhwa, is a frog-shaped Shiva
temple and the impressive Surat
Bhawan Palace, complemented by
nine acres of lush green lawns and
beautiful fountains.
ABOVE: One-horned

rhinoceros in
Dudhwa National Park
FACING PAGE: The tiger is a proud
inhabitant of Dudhwa National Park