Rajaji
National Park is distinct for its pristine scenic beauty
and rich bio- diversity. A paradise for nature lovers
and wildlife enthusiasts, the wildlife of the park is
blessed with elephants, tigers, leopards, deer and ghorals
as its best known life forms. Spread over an area of
820.42 sq Kms., Rajaji is a magni- ficient ecosystem
nestled in the Shivalik ranges and the beginning of
the vast Indo – Gangetic plains, thus representing
vegetationof several distinct zones and forest types
like Sal forests, Reverine forests, Board –leaved
mixed forests, Scrubland and grassy. It posses as many
as 23 species of mammals and 315 birds species. The
abundance of nature’s bounties heaped in and around
this park, are bound to attract a large number of wildlife
conservationists, nature lovers and eco-friends to visit
this most breathtaking wilderness area.
Fauna The
Rajaji National Park is rich in faunal wealth because
of the varied types of ecological niches existing in
the reserve. The main groups occur are mammals, birds,
reptiles (snakes and lizards), amphibians (frogs &
toads) butterflies and fishes, and chiefly the invertebrate
groups are, the Scorpions, Centipedes, Odonata (dragon
& damselflies), Hymenoptera (wasps, bees, etc.)
Isoptera (termites) and Lepidoptera which comprises
more than 60 species. Our National Bird Peacock is found
here in abundance. Several important herbivores like
Asian elephants, spotted deer, sambhar, barking Deer,
goral, blue bull (Neel Gai), hog deer, wild boar, Rhesus
monkey and common langur occur in the park. Among the
important carnivores areTiger and Leopard, the smaller
carnivores as copredators are Leopard cat, Jungle cat
, Civet cat and Yellow Throated Martin. Besides, other
mammals like hyaena, jackal and bengal fox are not an
uncommon sight and work as scavangers in the park.
In all 49 species of mammals belonging to 42 genera,
in 21 families and nine orders have been recorded. According
to census done in 1999 there are 445 elephants, 32 tigers
and 177 leopards, besides thousands of other wild animals
in the park. 315 species of birds are reported to occur
in the park. Birds like ducks, teals, cormorants, egrets,
lapwing, pond herons, pea fowl, jungle fowl, various
species of partridges and pheasants, drongo, crows,
owlets and nightjars, birds of prey, etc, are quite
common. Twenty eight species of snakes, 12 species of
turtles & tortoises and 9 species of lizards among
Reptilia are being recorded from the park.
Ten species under six genera and four families belonging
to order Anura (toads & frogs) with their developmental
stages have been recorded from the Park. Uperodon systoma,
Polypedates maculatus and Rana crassa are recorded for
the first time from the park. Besides, an interesting
phenomenon of breeding of Bufonids was observed, which
showed that B. stomaticus & B.melanostictus breeds
during July-August on the northern slope of Siwalik
,whereas the same species breeds up to November on the
southern slope. Polypedates maculatus, which inhabits
the live tree-holes, breeds only in July.
As many as 49 species of fish fauna have been recorded
from from the wetlands of the Park, including a small
loach Nemacheilus doonensis as new to the park, and
another species Berilius dimorphicus as new to science
(ZSI,1995). Hymenopterous insects mainly refer to the
Scolid wasps of the Park and as many as 13 species have
been recorded. Out of these, five species are not only
new to the area, but to the whole of the U.P (ZSI,lc).
The butterfly fauna of the Park is very rich and repersented
by as many as 60 species under eight families, out of
the known nine families of the Butterflies known from
the adjoining ares chiefly Garhwal And Kumaon hills
of the Himalaya. |
