Dudhwa National Park

Dudhwa National Park, which is synonymous with pioneering and sometimes rebellious methods and thought processes, is beautifully located near the Indo-Nepalese border in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

The park even has it's own mentor and ardent supporter in the form of Billy Arjan Singh, most famous for his hand rearing, and then releasing in the wild, of a tiger cub named Tara. Dudhwa National Park has pioneered in projects such as the relocation of rhinos into it from the Pabitara Wild Life Sanctuary in Assam to enhance the survival chances of the highly endangered animal. This was done under the watchful eye of the director of the park at the time, Dr. Ashok Singh, who later took over the same position at Corbett National Park.

Wildlife Attractions
Apart from the swamp deer, there are at least 37 species of mammals, 16 species of reptiles and 400 species of avifauna. Dudhwa Wildlife Sanctuary is said to have 101 tigers and four leopards. Recently, the hispid hare has also been sighted from this area.

It was here in 1984 that a major rhinoceros rehabilitation project was started since these forests had been the habitat of the rhinoceros 150 years ago. Five rhinos were relocated from Assam but two of the females died due to the strains of transportation. These were replaced in 1985 by four more females from Nepal.

Miscellaneous attractions of the Park :
En route to Dudhwa, the unique Frog Temple at Oyal can also be visited. The only one of its kind in India, it was built by the former Maharajas of the Oyal state in the district of Lakhimpur-Kheri. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the base of the stone temple is built in the shape of a large frog. The temple is at a distance of 10 km from Hargaon on the route to Lakhimpur-Kheri and Dudhwa.

Avian World
Dudhwa’s birds, in particular, are a delight for any avid bird watcher- plenty of painted storks, sarus cranes, owls, barbets, woodpeckers, minivets and many more, including some rare species like the Bengal florican. Much of the park’s avian fauna is aquatic in nature, and is found around Dudhwa’s lakes- especially Banke Tal.

Flora Attraction
The major vegetation types in this region are tropical semi-evergreen forest, tropical moist deciduous forest, riparian and swamp forest and dry deciduous forest. The dominant tree species are Shorea robusta, Terminalis tomentosa, Adina cordifolia, Terminalia belerica, Eugenia jambolana, Dalbergia sissoo, and Bombax malabaricum. The various types of forests throughout the park are interrupted by wide stretches of mesophyllous grasslands locally called the phantas.

Safari
Jeeps and mini buses can be hired from the Park. Elephant rides through the Park are also available.

Best time to visit
The best time to visit Dudhwa is between November and May. The park remains open to the public from November to June, but by June it’s usually a little too hot for comfort. Remember to take your woollens along if you’re going between December and February- it can get pretty chilly here, in the foothills of the Terai.

Getting There
By Air : In India, Lucknow at 250 kms is the most convenient airport, connected by flights from across the country. Outside India, Nepal at 35 kms is the nearest airport.

By Rail : The nearest railhead is Dudhwa (4 kms), Palia (10 kms) and Mailani (37 kms).

By Road : The State Roadways buses and private bus services link Palia to Lakhimpur Kheri, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly and Delhi. Buses are frequent between Palia and Dudhwa.

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