State

Uttar Pradesh

History

Altitude (above M.S.L.)

150 - 182 m

Dudhwa National Park, which emerged from a struggle against a welter of different interests, is even now threatend by demographic pressure. Thanks to the conviction of a conservation-minded prime minister, the late Mrs Indira Gandhi, and the continuous endeavour of conservationist Arjan Singh Dudhwa was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1965 and a National Park in 1977. It was added to the Project Tiger Network in 1987-88.

Area

Total

883.7 km²

Core

693.7 km²

Buffer

190.0 km²

Flora and Fauna

The park is a vast alluvial plain interspersed with numerous rivers, lakes and pools. The rich and extremely fertile Indo-Gangetic plains support a luxuriant growth of grasslands and woodlands, consisting mainly of Sal forests and a diversity of fauna. Dudhwa is home to various mammals and approximately 400 bird and 90 fish species. The one-horned rhinoceros was recently reintroduced in the area.

Temperature

2.8°C - 45°C

Rainfall (per annum)

1500 mm

Seasons

Winter

Oct - Mar

Summer

Mar - Jun

Monsoon

Jun - Oct

Forest Types

Northern Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forest, Northern Moist Deciduous Forests, Damar Sal Forests, Moist Bhabar Sal, Western light and Alluvial Plains Sal, Chandar Sal, Terminalia tomentosa Forests, Low Alluvial Savannah Woodland, Dry Plain Sal Forests, Moist Sal Savannah Forests, Tropical Seasonal Swamp Forests, Khair Sissoo Forests, plantations of exotic and indigenous species

Fauna

Tiger, leopard, rhinoceros, swamp deer, hog deer, spotted deer, barking deer, sambar, wild boar, hispid hares, ratel, etc.

Funds

Delayed

Management Objectives

Staff

Understaffed

Protection and habitat management is the primary objective. Grassland management through weed erradication is also practised at Dudhwa.

Problems

Grazing of livestock and human encroachment is a problem at Dudhwa. As wild animals frequently destroy crops and kill livestock, they are often killed in retaliation. Poaching and smuggling (Dudhwa borders Nepal) is also a serious problem. There are occasion forest fires, but weeds cause a far larger threat. Some grasslands are badly infested and dense exotic mats have formed in large portions of the forests.

External Influences

Villages

Not recorded

Human population

Not recorded

Livestock numbers

Not recorded