Dooars is A vast texture of dense forests mingled with -------- wildlife , & Tea Gardens
PLACES IN DOOARS
MAHANANDA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Mahananda Wildlife sanctuary is situated in Darjeeling wildlife sub-division. It lies approximately 13 kms from Siliguri and comes within hardly 30 minutes drive from here. Sukna, which lies on the way to Darjeeling is considered as the gateway to the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is spread across an area of 159.86 sq kms. Mainly built for the protection of Gaur (The Indian Bison)and the Royal Bengal Tigers it got the status of Sanctuary in the year 1959. the Mahananda river flows right through the heart of the Sanctuary. Elephant, Royal Bengal Tigers, Gaur (The Indian Bison), spotted and barking deer, many species of Cats, Himalayan black Beer, Leopard including Clouded leopard and Sambar are some of the species of animals found here. Many species of birds such as the Fairy Blue Bird, Himalayan Pied Hornbill,
Swallow, Swift, Thrust, Babbler, Roller minivet, Sunbird, and many species of migratory water birds(in winter) are found here. Mahanada Wildlife Sanctuary is considered ideal for wildlife lovers, and to assist them many watchtowers, hides etc are build near rivers and saltlicks where nature lovers can come close to the wildlife and see animals and birds coming to quench their thirst. Latpancher is the highest place in the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary and lies at about 4000ft above sea level and 44 kms from Siliguri. Many trekking routes originate here. The Golaghat- Deorali track and Latpanchar-Mana track originate here which are famous for trek and bird watching.

NEORA VALLEY
Neora Valley National park lies in Kalimpong Sub-division in Darjeeling district, West Bengal. It spreads across an area of 88 sq kms and is one of the richest biological zones in the entire North East. It was established in April 1986. it is The land of elegant Red Panda in the pristine undisturbed natural habitat with rugged terrain, inaccessible hilly terrain, and rich diverse Flora and Fauna together make this park an important wilderness zone. the Neora Valley is bordered by Bhutan and forests of Sikkim and has an unique eco-system- the Sub Tropical, Sub- Temperate, Temperate Vegetative system. Neora valley has mixed species of Rhododendrons which forms a colourful canopy. Many species of Bamboo, Oak, Ferns, Sal are also found here in abundance, besides numerous species of Orchids are also found here. Many species of leopards, 5 species of Civets, Black bear, Sloth Bear, Golden Gat, Wild Boar, Goral, Serow, Barking Deer, Sambar, Himalayan flying Squirrel and Thar are found here, but the main attraction in the place is the Clouded Leopard, Red Panda, and Mush Deer. There are many species of birds also found in this place such as Vulture, Himalayan
Griffon, Red Legged Falcon, Pigeons, Doves, Hornbill and a large number of migratory birds like Whistling Thrust. King Kobra, Common Kobra Krait, Green Pit Viper, Blind Snake, and Lizards are some of the reptiles found in the zone. Colourful Butterflies, Moth, Beetles, Bees, Wasps, Bugs and Cicadas are some of the insects that are found here.
The main entry point to this wilderness is through Lava(7200 ft). another entry point is through Samsing (3000 ft).the highest point in the park is Rachela Danda (10600 ft). in some places the park has dense growth and even the sunlight has difficulty reaching the ground which makes it even more adventurous for nature lovers and trekkers who get to explore the still unknown terrain of Kalimpong Hills.

BUXA
Buxa
tiger reserve lies in Alipurduar Sub-division of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal. The Buxa spreads across an area of 759 sq kms. It was once famous for dolomite mining. It was declared a tiger reserve in 1983 and a National Park in 1992. at present the Buxa has the 2nd highest Tiger population in West Bengal after Sunderbans, and has the largest forest in North Bengal.
It has over 390 species of birds including hornbills, Goosanders, Black necked Crane, Black Stork, minivets etc. There are 73 species of mammals, 76 species of snakes, 5 species of amphibians. Among these are the leopard cat, Bengal Florican, Regal Pithon, Chinese Pangolin, hispid Hare and Hog Deer which are considered highly endangered. The buxa is covered with thick deciduous forests which are densely wooded and has over 300 species of trees, 250 species of scrubs, 400 species of herbs, 9 species of canes, 10 species of bamboo, 150 species of orchids, 100 species of grass, 130 species of Aquatic flora including more than 700 sedges.
The Buxafort (2600 ft above sea level) is a famous tourist attraction and played an important role in India’s struggle for freedom. The Mahakal temple is another visited site, where on the eve of Shiv Chaturthi more than 10000 devotees come to visit this place and offer prayers. BuxaDuar, and Rajabhatkhawa are famous for Eco Tourism. The Orchidarium, animal rescue centre, nature interpretation cente are other places of interest in Buxa. The Buxaduar forest was used as prison by the British where Indian Freedom fighters were kept mainly because of its remoteness. Moving further 4 kms comes the trek to Rovers point (land of unknown birds 4500 ft). from here begins 14 km trek to Roopam valley and 13 kms trek to Jayanti through the jungle with guide. The place also has stalactite cave and Mahakal cave at Jayanti.
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