Singalila National Park is a national park of India located on the Singalila Ridge at an altitude of more than 7000 feet above sea level, in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It is well known for the trekking route to Sandakphu that runs through it.
| Singalila National Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | West Bengal, India |
| Nearest city | Manebhanjan |
| Area | 78.6 km² |
| Established | 1986 (WLS), 1992 (NP) |
| Visitors | NA (in 2005) |
| Governing body | Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India |
History of the park
The park was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1986, and was made an Indian National Park in 1992. The region had long been used as the trekking route from Manebhanjan to Sandakphu (the highest peak of West Bengal, and Phalut.
Geography of the park
Political Geography: The park is located in the Darjeeling subdivision, Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India. It is bordered on the north by the state of Sikkim and on the west by the country of Nepal.
Physical Geography: The park is part of the Eastern Himalayas. The Singalila Ridge, which runs roughly North to South and separates Himalayan West Bengal from the other Eastern Himalayan ranges to the west of it. The two highest peaks of West Bengal, Sandakphu (3630 m) and Phalut (3600 m) are located on the ridge and inside the park.
Human history of the park
The park has no significant history of human settlement. However, small settlements have grown up along the trekking route to Sandakphu and Phalut. There is a reasonably large village at Kala Pokhri, around the lake of the same name.
Natural history of the park
Biomes
The national park falls in the Indomalaya ecozone, and the biomes corresponding to the ecozone which are present in the park are :
- Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests of the Temperate coniferous forests biome
- Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests of the Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome
- Himalayan subtropical pine forests of the Subtropical coniferous forest biome
The subtropical biome roughly exists in the altitude range of 1800 m to 3000 m, and the temperate biome exists in the altitude range of 3000 m to 4500 m.
Flora
Thick bamboo, oak, magnolia and rhododendron forest between 2000 and 3600 m cover the Singalila Ridge. There are two seasons of wildflower bloom - one in Spring (March - April) when the Rhododendrons bloom, and another in the post-monsoon season (around October), when the lower forests bloom (Primula, Geranium, Saxifraga , Bistort, Senecio, Cotoneaster and numerous orchids). Sandakphu is known as the "mountain of poisonous plants" due to the large concentration of Himalayan Cobra Lilies (Arisaema) which grow there.
Fauna
Mammals: The park has a number of small mammals including the Red Panda, Leopard Cat, Barking Deer, Yellow-throated Marten, Wild Boar, Pangolin and the Pika. Larger mammals include the Himalayan Black Bear, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Serow and the Takin. Tigers occasionally wander into the area, but do not have a large enough prey base to make residence in these forests feasible.
Birds: The park is a birder's delight with many rare and exotic species like the Scarlet Minivet, Kalij Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan, Brown and Fulvous Parrotbills, Rufous-vented Tit, and Old World babblers like the Fire-tailed Myzornis and the Golden-breasted Fulvetta.
Conservation issues
Park-specific information
The two seasons to visit the park are in Spring (March - May) and post Monsoon (September to early December). The park is closed to tourists from June 16 to September 15 every year on account of the monsoons.
Activities
Trekking : Treks begin at Manebhanjan which is 30 km from Darjeeling. The popular birding trek is from Manebhanjan (2100 m) to Sandakm/hu (3640 m) and back with halts at Gairibans (2620 m) or Kalipokhri (3110 m).
Lodging
There are two roomed guest houses at Rambi, Tonglu, Gairibas, Sandakphu and Phalut run by the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Department of Tourism. Numerous guest houses and lodging are available at Manebhanjan. The preferred way to visit the park is to stay in Darjeeling and camp inside the national park.
Approach
- Nearest airport:
- Bagdogra Airport, Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal
- Gangtok Helipad, East Sikkim district, Sikkim
- Nearest railhead:
- Narrow gauge: Ghum, West Bengal
- Standard Gauge: New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal
- Nearest highway: NH 31A (Sivok - Gangtok) passes through Darjeeling (which is 1.5 hours by car from Manebhanjan)
- Nearest town: Manebhanjan - the gateway to the park
- Nearest city: Darjeeling
References
- World Wildlife Fund Ecoregion document, which publishes material from the following book
- Terrestrial ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a conservation assessment, Island Press, ISBN 1-55963-923-7
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