Description:
The Jaldapara Wildlfe Sanctuary with an area of 216.51 sq km is a mosaic of woods, grassland, swamps and streams with great diversity of fauna and flora. It is located in the eastern part of Jalpaiguri district not far away from Coochbehar. The River Torsha runs through the Sanctuary. The forest is mainly savannah covered with tall elephant grasses.
The Jaldapara Sanctuary is home for the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros. Herds of elephants can frequently be found using it as feeding grounds. Hog deer, spotted deer, barking deer and sambar are found, as are the Indian Bison. Tigers and leopards can be spotted too. There is also a leopard-breeding centre at Jaldapara. The Sanctuary is home for some rare species like the hispid hare, hog badger, wild boar and sloth bears are found here. A rich and varied avifauna is found here as well like the Crested Eagle, Pallas’s Fishing Eagle and Shikra. Jungle fowl, peafowl, partridges, the Bengal Florican and Pied Hornbill with Python, monitor lizards, cobras, geckos and about 8 species of fresh water turtles add to the beauty. Besides wildlife viewing, there is scope for unusual holiday activities like elephant riding and leisurely strolls through the towering grass.
Another major town is Siliguri. A crucial junction which is the doorway to North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan, it is also a major intersection in the road transportation network to north-east India.
Rapidly emerging as a new commercial hub, Siliguri owes its prosperity to the tea and orange trades. More than anything else, the major attraction of Siliguri in recent years remains its Hong Kong Market, a virtual Pandora's Box for foreign goods of all kinds.
