Location and Brief Overview
The Valmiki National Park is a magical land located in the West Champaran district in the Indian state of Bihar. The park covers a total area of 335.65 km2. The park typically serves to protect wildlife and biodiversity. Activities like deforestation, logging, poaching, and hunting are strictly prohibited in the Valmiki National Park. The park is well demarcated, and the boundaries are properly defined.
History and Geography
A small town of Valmikinagar, from which the Valmiki National Park derives its name, is located in the forest area. The town was owned by Ramanagar Raj and Bettiah Raj. It was under their ownership until the early 1950's. In 1978, the Government of India established a Wildlife Sanctuary in the area while the Valmiki National Park was established in 1990. The Valmiki National Park forms the country’s 18th Tiger Reserve. Precisely, Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) (545.15 km2) comprises both Valmiki National Park (335.65) and Valmiki Wild Sanctuary. VTR shares a border with the Chitwan National Park, which is situated in Nepal. Two rivers - Gandak and Masan, flow through the Valmiki National Park beautifying the area even more. Under the ownership of Bettiah Raj and Ramanagar Raj before 1950's, the forest was majorly used for timber production. In the early 1950s, the state government took over the management, and later, leased it to the Bihar State Forest Development Corporation in 1974. The Indian State, Uttar Pradesh is on the western side of the wildlife sanctuary.
Habitat and Biodiversity
The climatic conditions of the Valmiki National Park are favorable for the growth of several types of vegetation. Shorea robusta, Strebulus asper, Terminalia belerica, Terminalia tomentosa, Mitragyna parviflora, Ehretia laevis, among many other species are found in this park. Concerning the fauna, the park is habitable to mammals, birds, and spectacular butterflies. Examples of mammals found here include tiger, black bear, leopard, wild buffalo, wild dog, langur, fishing cat, etc. Also, there are several types of birds in the Valmiki National Park. We have Nepal kaleen pheasant, flycatcher, three-toed quail, gray shrike, tree pipit, etc. Valmiki is also habitable to reptiles like python, king cobra, cobra, banded krait, crocodiles, gharial, sand boa, monitor lizard, etc. Butterflies include common mormon, glassy tiger, great mormon, club beak, lime butterfly, etc. Valmiki National Park is generally habitable to many plants and animal species. It offers good climatic conditions, favorable to humans, animals, and plants.
Tourism
The Valmiki National Park is extremely picturesque. The two rivers flowing through the area offer a very spectacular view. The best time to visit is between March and November. The Valmiki National Park can be reached by air, rail, and road. Closest airports include Patna, Kolkata, and Gorakhpur. Patna is about 275km from the park and is well connected to rail and road transport. The closest railway station is Valmiki Nagar Railway station. This railway station is perfectly linked to the park by road. Luckily, we have several direct trains that can take travelers from major cities of the country to the park. To add on, Valmiki National Park connects effectively by road, to most of the cities in the country. We have many government vehicles transporting people to the park at regular intervals. We have rest houses within the park. Tourists are advised to send an early request for accommodations before traveling to the Valmiki National Park. For more details on how to secure and accommodation, contact the Chief Wildlife Warden, phone number: 0612-2545366
Threats and Conservation
The major threat to this Valmiki National Park was deforestation, especially during the Bettiah Raj and Ramanagar possession period. When the state government took over the control, all the exploitative activities like poaching and cutting down of trees were abolished. Those rules still hold even after the government leased it to Bihar State Forest Development Corporation. The corporation has put in place several security mechanisms to ensure that the park is well conserved and its integrity preserved. Although we still have some crooked poachers hunting down the animals secretly, those caught committing this illegal act are strictly prosecuted. Residents within the area are advised to keep the rivers clean and to avoid pollution. The rivers Gandaki and Masan are the major source of water for the animals within the Valmiki National Park. The relevant authorities are trying hard to keep them clean.
Written By: A. Benojir
Read about other wildlife destinations here:
Gulf Of Mannar Marine National Park
Gangotri National Park
Indravati National Park
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