Rajaji National Park

Rajaji National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Location in Uttarakhand Rajaji National Park (India)
Location	Uttarakhand, India
Nearest city	Haridwar and Dehra Dun
Coordinates	30°03′29″N 78°10′22″E
Area	820.5 km2 (316.8 sq mi)
Established	1948 (Wildlife Sanctuary) 1983 (National Park) 2015 (as Tiger Reserve)
Governing body	Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Uttarakhand
Website	www.rajajinationalpark.co.in

Rajaji National Park is a national park and tiger reserve in the Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal districts of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It encompasses an area of 820 km² (320 sq mi) in the Sivalik Hills. In 1983, three wildlife sanctuaries in the area, namely Chilla, Motichur and Rajaji, were merged into one.

Rajaji National Park was named after C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), a prominent leader of the Freedom Struggle, and the first and last Governor-General of independent India and one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna.

History

In 1948, the area was created as Rajaji Sanctuary, and Rajaji, Motichur and Chila area were declared as Rajaji National Park in 1983. In 2015, the government approved a proposal to grant Rajaji National Park the status of a tiger reserve. As per directions of the Tiger Conservative Authority of India, its core area is Rajaji National Park, whilst about 300 km² (120 sq mi) of the Shyampur range of the Haridwar forest division and parts of Kotdwar and Laldhang forest division are also included, augmenting the total area to 1,150 km² (440 sq mi).

Geography

Rajaji National Park is located in Sivalik Hills in Dehradun district, Haridwar district and Pauri Garhwal district. It covers total area of 820 km² (320 sq mi). It has constituted Rajaji wildlife sanctuary, Motichur and Chilla. The elevation ranges from 300 to 1400 meters. The Ganga river flows through the national park and divides the park into two parts, the western Rajaji and motichur sanctuary and the eastern Chilla sanctuary.

Flora

Grassland in Chilla Range

Rajaji National Park is nestled between the Sivalik Hills and the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Broadleaved deciduous forests and riparian vegetation, shrubland, grasslands and pine forests form the main habitats in the park. The often sparse understory consists of rohini (Mallotus philippensis), amaltas (Cassia fistula), shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), sal (Shorea robusta), palash (Butea monosperma), arjun (Terminalia arjuna), khair (Senegalia catechu), baans (Dendrocalamus strictus), semul (Bombax ceiba), sandan, chamror (Ehretia), amla Phyllanthus emblica, kachnar (Bauhinia variegata), ber (Ziziphus mauritiana), chilla (Casearia), bel (Aegle marmelos).

Fauna

A Goral in Rajaji National Park

A pair of leopards in Rajai Tiger Reserve

Elephant in Rajaji National Park

Rajaji National Park hosts many wild animals including Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Chital, sambar deer, barasingha, Northern red muntjac, Indian hog deer, nilgai, wild boar, sloth bear, Asian black bear, rhesus macaque, common langur, leopard cat, jungle cat, dhole, Bengal fox, golden jackal and yellow-throated marten, goral and Himalayan tahr. The goral and the Himalayan tahr mainly stay on the precipitous, pine-covered slopes. The Himalayan black bear inhabits the higher reaches of the park. Other wild animals in the park include Bengal monitor, Brahminy blindsnake, Burmese python, Common krait, Hanuman langur, Indian cobra, Indian crested porcupine, Indian flying fox, Indian grey mongoose, Indian hare, king cobra, Oriental garden lizard, Rhesus macaque, Russell's viper, smooth-coated otter, white-bellied giant flying squirrel.

Over 315 species of birds occur in the park, including both residents and migrants. It is home many bird species including peafowl, red jungle fowl, black partridge, quail, woodpecker, Egyptian vulture, Himalayan vulture and Red-headed vulture, Indian grey hornbill and Great hornbill.