National Park Status for Jaldapara Wild Life Sanctuary

The Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary – home to a wild variety of wildlife, particularly the great Indian one horned Rhinos – has been given the status of a “National Park” in a notification by the Union forest and environment ministry.

The state wildlife advisory board had sent the proposal to the central wildlife advisory board for promoting Jaldapara into a national park in February. The Union forest and environment ministry approved the proposal after getting a green signal form the central board.

The Jaldapara forest was given a “ Wildlife Sanctuary” status in the British Era in 1941 when its area was 141 sq.km. At present , Jaldapara is spread over in an area of 216.51sq km and houses more than 160 rhino.  Apart from numerous bison, deer, leopards, and six Bengal tigers. Other animals found in Jaldapara include wild elephants, deer , swamp deer, hog deer, and bison. Some rare species like the hispid hare and the hog-badger are also found here.

Earlier, too, the State Wildlife Advisory  Board had sent the same proposal to the central board. But it was rejected on ground that there were too many forest villages in the buffer zone of the forest.

Within the 216.51 sq km area, there are no forest villages and that is going to be the actual size of the national park. Once we get the official correspondence, we will take up all conservative measures that is taken for national park.

Courtesy : The Telegraph