Neora Valley National Park
Encyclopedia
Neora Valley National Park (Bengali
: নেওরা ভ্যালি জাতীয় উদ্যান Neora Bhêli Jatio Uddan) ( Neurā Bhelli Rāsṭriya Udyān) is situated in the Kalimpong subdivision
under Darjeeling District
, West Bengal
, India
and was established in 1986. It spreads over an area of 88 km² and is one of the richest biological zones in the entire Northeast. It is the land of the elegant Red Panda in the pristine undisturbed natural habitat with rugged inaccessible hilly terrain and rich diverse flora and fauna making this park an important wilderness zone.
trees, lush green valley, meandering rivers and streams with snowcapped mountains in the backdrop form a picturesque landscape.
The park reaches up to an elevation of 10600 ft at Rechela Danda, the highest point of Neora Valley National Park, which borders Sikkim
and Bhutan
. The Neora River is the major water source for Kalimpong town.
, bamboo
, oak
, ferns
, sal
, etc. The valley also has numerous species of orchids.
, red panda
, and musk deer
. Other species are leopard
, five species of civet
, black bear
, sloth bear
, golden cat
, wild boar, leopard cat
, goral
, serow
, barking deer, sambar
, Himalayan flying squirrel
and thar.
, Satyr Tragopan
, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker
, Darjeeling Woodpecker
, Bay Woodpecker
, Golden-throated Barbet
, Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo, Lesser Cuckoo
, Brown Wood Owl
, Ashy Wood Pigeon, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Jerdon's Baza
, Black Eagle
, Mountain Hawk Eagle
, Dark-throated Thrush
, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
, White-gorgeted Flycatcher
, White-browed Bush Robin, White-tailed Robin
, Yellow-browed Tit
, Striated Bulbul
, Chestnut-headed Tesia
, Chestnut-crowned Warbler
, Black-faced Warbler
, Black-faced Laughingthrush
, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush
, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Scaly-breasted Wren-Babbler
, Pygmy Wren-Babbler
, Rufous-fronted Babbler
, Black-headed Shrike Babbler, White-browed Shrike Babbler, Rusty-fronted Barwing
, Rufous-winged Fulvetta
, Brown Parrotbill
, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
, Fire-tailed Sunbird
, Maroon-backed Accentor
, Dark-breasted Rosefinch
, Red-headed Bullfinch
, Gold-naped Finch
and many other rarities.
, common cobra krait, green pit viper, blind snake and lizards are also found. Many colourful insects such as butterflies, moths
, beetles, bees, wasps, bugs
and cicadas are added attractions of the valley.
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: নেওরা ভ্যালি জাতীয় উদ্যান Neora Bhêli Jatio Uddan) ( Neurā Bhelli Rāsṭriya Udyān) is situated in the Kalimpong subdivision
Kalimpong subdivision
Kalimpong subdivision is a subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of the Kalimpong municipality and three community development blocks: Kalimpong–I, Kalimpong–II and Gorubathan. The three blocks contain 42 gram panchayats...
under Darjeeling District
Darjeeling district
Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas. The district is famous for its beautiful hill stations and Darjeeling tea. Darjeeling is the district headquarters...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and was established in 1986. It spreads over an area of 88 km² and is one of the richest biological zones in the entire Northeast. It is the land of the elegant Red Panda in the pristine undisturbed natural habitat with rugged inaccessible hilly terrain and rich diverse flora and fauna making this park an important wilderness zone.
Geography
The park is spread over 88 km². The forest in Neora Valley has such luxurious growth that even sunlight finds it difficult to touch the ground. Much of the park is still inaccessible, making it an adventurous place for the nature lovers/trekkers who can take the challenge to explore the still-unknown terrain in the Kalimpong hills. Virgin natural forests, dense bamboo groves, colourful canopy of RhododendronRhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
trees, lush green valley, meandering rivers and streams with snowcapped mountains in the backdrop form a picturesque landscape.
The park reaches up to an elevation of 10600 ft at Rechela Danda, the highest point of Neora Valley National Park, which borders Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
and Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. The Neora River is the major water source for Kalimpong town.
Flora
Neora Valley, one of the least tracts of virgin wilderness in the country, sustains a unique ecosystem where tropical, sub-tropical, sub-temperate, and temperate vegetative system still harbours a wealth of flora and fauna. The forests consists of mixed species like rhododendronRhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
, bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, ferns
Ferns
Ferns can refer to:* Fern, any of many groups of Pteridophyta in the plant kingdom* Ferns, County Wexford, a small historic town in north County Wexford, Ireland* The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns* The Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin...
, sal
Sal
Shorea robusta, also known as sal or shala tree, is a species of tree belonging to the Dipterocarpaceae family.-Distribution and description:...
, etc. The valley also has numerous species of orchids.
Mammals
The fauna consists of endangered species such as the clouded leopardClouded Leopard
The clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
, red panda
Red Panda
The red panda , is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs...
, and musk deer
Musk deer
Musk deer are artiodactyls of the genus Moschus, the only genus of family Moschidae. They are more primitive than the cervids, or true deer, in not having antlers or facial glands, in having only a single pair of teats, and in possessing a gall bladder, a caudal gland, a pair of tusk-like teeth...
. Other species are leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, five species of civet
Civet
The family Viverridae is made up of around 30 species of medium-sized mammal, including all of the genets, the binturong, most of the civets, and the two African linsangs....
, black bear
Asiatic Black Bear
The Asian black bear , also known as the moon bear or white-chested bear is a medium-sized species of bear, largely adapted for arboreal life, which occurs through much of southern Asia, Korea, northeastern China, the Russian far east and Honshū and Shikoku islands of Japan...
, sloth bear
Sloth Bear
The sloth bear , also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution...
, golden cat
Golden cat
A golden cat is a medium-sized wild cat belonging to either the genus Catopuma or Profelis. There are three species of golden cats:* African Golden Cat, Profelis aurata* Asian Golden Cat, Catopuma temminckii* Bay Cat, Catopuma badia...
, wild boar, leopard cat
Leopard Cat
The leopard cat is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range...
, goral
Goral
Goral may refer to:* Three species of Asian ungulates in the genus Naemorhedus.* The Gorals, a people living in southern Poland, northern Slovakia and the Czech Republic....
, serow
Serow
Serow may refer to:*Three species of Asian ungulate in the genus Capricornis**Japanese Serow**Mainland Serow**Taiwan Serow* Serow, Iran, a city in Urmia County, West Azarbaijan Province, Iran*Alternative spelling of Serov...
, barking deer, sambar
Sambar Deer
The Sambar ' is a large deer native to southern and southeast Asia. Although it primarily refers to R. unicolor, the name "Sambar" is also sometimes used to refer to the Philippine Deer and the Rusa Deer...
, Himalayan flying squirrel
Flying squirrel
Flying squirrels, scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini, are a tribe of 44 species of squirrels .- Description :...
and thar.
Birds
Lava and the Neora Valley National Park are birders' paradise; some of India's most sought-after birds are found here. The semi-evergreen forests between 1600 m and 2700 m is the home of several rarities like Rufous-throated PartridgeRufous-throated Partridge
The Rufous-throated Partridge is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane...
, Satyr Tragopan
Satyr Tragopan
The Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra, also known as the Crimson Horned Pheasant, is a pheasant found in the Himalayan reaches of India, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. They reside in moist oak and rhododendron forests with dense undergrowth and bamboo clumps. Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, shrubland...
, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker
Crimson-breasted Woodpecker
The Crimson-breasted Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam....
, Darjeeling Woodpecker
Darjeeling Woodpecker
The Darjeeling Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-Description:A medium-sized pied...
, Bay Woodpecker
Bay Woodpecker
The Bay Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist...
, Golden-throated Barbet
Golden-throated Barbet
The Golden-throated Barbet, Megalaima franklinii, is an Asian barbet. Barbets are a group of near passerine birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills....
, Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo, Lesser Cuckoo
Lesser Cuckoo
The Lesser Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Malawi, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka,...
, Brown Wood Owl
Brown Wood Owl
The Brown Wood Owl, Strix leptogrammica, is an owl which is a resident breeder in south Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to western Indonesia and south China. This species is a part of the family of owls known as typical owls , which contains most species of owl...
, Ashy Wood Pigeon, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Jerdon's Baza
Jerdon's Baza
Jerdon's Baza is a moderate sized brown hawk with a thin white-tipped black crest usually held erect. It is found in South-east Asia. It inhabits foothills in the terai and is rarer in evergreen forests and tea estates.-Description:...
, Black Eagle
Black Eagle
The Black Eagle is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus Ictinaetus. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical Asia and hunt mammals and birds, particularly at their nests...
, Mountain Hawk Eagle
Mountain Hawk Eagle
The Mountain Hawk-Eagle or Hodgson's Hawk-eagle is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae...
, Dark-throated Thrush
Dark-throated Thrush
The Dark-throated Thrush is a passerine bird in the thrush family. It has two races: T. r. atrogularis, the Black-throated Thrush, and T. r. ruficollis, the Red-throated Thrush. These are sometimes considered different species...
, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
The Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, ranging across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane...
, White-gorgeted Flycatcher
White-gorgeted Flycatcher
The White-gorgeted Flycatcher is a species of passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.- External links :*...
, White-browed Bush Robin, White-tailed Robin
White-tailed Robin
The White-tailed Robin is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam...
, Yellow-browed Tit
Yellow-browed Tit
The Yellow-browed Tit is a species of bird in the family Paridae. It is placed in the monotypic genus Sylviparus....
, Striated Bulbul
Striated Bulbul
The Striated Bulbul is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Burma, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
, Chestnut-headed Tesia
Chestnut-headed Tesia
The Chestnut-headed Tesia is a songbird species formerly in the "Old World warbler" but nowadays placed in the bush warbler family ....
, Chestnut-crowned Warbler
Chestnut-crowned Warbler
The Chestnut-crowned Warbler is a species of leaf warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage....
, Black-faced Warbler
Black-faced Warbler
The Black-faced Warbler is a species of bush warbler . It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage....
, Black-faced Laughingthrush
Black-faced Laughingthrush
The Black-faced Laughingthrush is a bird species in the Old World babbler family . In the proposed rearrangement of the laughingthrushes, it is placed in the genus Trochalopteron, as T. affine....
, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush
Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush
The Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam....
, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Scaly-breasted Wren-Babbler
Scaly-breasted Wren-babbler
The Scaly-breasted Wren-babbler is a species of passerine bird in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae.It is found in India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam. The Taiwan Wren-babbler was once treated as a subspecies of this species.Its natural habitat is subtropical moist...
, Pygmy Wren-Babbler
Pygmy Wren-babbler
The Pygmy Wren-babbler is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam....
, Rufous-fronted Babbler
Rufous-fronted Babbler
The Rufous-fronted Babbler is a species of bird in the Old World babbler family. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand in moist lowland forests, grass or bamboo up to 2,100 m altitude....
, Black-headed Shrike Babbler, White-browed Shrike Babbler, Rusty-fronted Barwing
Rusty-fronted Barwing
The Rusty-fronted Barwing is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
, Rufous-winged Fulvetta
Rufous-winged Fulvetta
The Rufous-winged Fulvetta is a bird species of the Old World babbler family . Its common name is misleading, because it is not a close relative of the "typical" fulvettas, which are now in the genus Fulvetta and are actually Sylviidae.The Black-crowned Fulvetta The Rufous-winged Fulvetta...
, Brown Parrotbill
Brown Parrotbill
The Brown Parrotbill is a bird species often placed with the Old World babblers or in a distinct family Paradoxornithidae, but it actually seems to belong to the Sylviidae....
, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
The Fire-breasted Flowerpecker is a species of bird in the Dicaeidae family found in South and Southeast Asia. Like other flowerpeckers, this tiny bird feeds on fruits and plays an important role in the dispersal of fruiting plants...
, Fire-tailed Sunbird
Fire-tailed Sunbird
The Fire-tailed Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
, Maroon-backed Accentor
Maroon-backed Accentor
The Maroon-backed Accentor is a species of bird in the Prunellidae family. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:...
, Dark-breasted Rosefinch
Dark-breasted Rosefinch
The Dark-breasted Rosefinch is a true finch species . It is one the most peculiar "rosefinches" and might belong in a monotypic genus Procarduelis, closer to Fringilla than to the true rosefinches.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam...
, Red-headed Bullfinch
Red-headed Bullfinch
The Red-headed Bullfinch is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:...
, Gold-naped Finch
Gold-naped Finch
The Golden-naped Finch is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. It is in the is monotypic genus Pyrrhoplectes.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is temperate forests....
and many other rarities.
Others
King cobraKing Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
, common cobra krait, green pit viper, blind snake and lizards are also found. Many colourful insects such as butterflies, moths
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
, beetles, bees, wasps, bugs
Bugs
Bugs may refer to:*Heteroptera, the taxonomic order, to which belong "true bugs" insects*arthropods, an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and jointed appendages*Bugs Bunny, an animated cartoon character...
and cicadas are added attractions of the valley.
Approach
- Nearest Town: LavaLava (town)Lava is a small hamlet situated east of the town of Kalimpong via Algarah in Darjeeling district of the state of West Bengal, India. Lava is situated at an altitude of . It is one of the few places in West Bengal to receive snow in winter. It is the entry point to the Neora Valley National Park...
- Nearest City: Kalimpong
- Air: Nearest airport is BagdograBagdograBagdogra is a small town in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India, which is surrounded by tea gardens. Bagdogra is well connected by rail and air to the rest of the country. Bagdogra Airport is the only airport in North Bengal, which is now an International Airport. -References:...
(100 km) - Rail: Nearest railhead is Darjeeling (30 km)(narrow gauge), New JalpaiguriNew JalpaiguriNew Jalpaiguri is a major railway station of the city of Siliguri in the Indian state of West Bengal. The station is popularly known by its acronym NJP...
(132 km) (broad gauge) - Road: There are buses available from SiliguriSiliguriSiliguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck - a very narrow strip of land linking mainland India to its north-eastern states. It is also the transit point for air, road and rail traffic to the neighbouring countries of Nepal,...
to Kalimpong (100 km) which is 32 km away from the entry point Lava. Another route is from Siliguri - Chalsa (65 km) - SamsingSamsingSamsing is a small hill village and tourist spot in the Kalimpong subdivision of Darjeeling district of West Bengal, situated at an elevation of 3000 ft. It is known for its beautiful landscape with green tea gardens, hills and forests, which attract a lot of tourists. It lies 18 km from the Neora...
(18 km). The park can be reached by road from Samsing.