Gorumara National Park, National park in Jalpaiguri district, India.
Gorumara is a national park in Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal, covering lowland forests and open grasslands between two major river systems. The landscape shifts between dense tree clusters, marshy sections along the Murti River, and wide plains where grasses turn golden during the dry season.
Gorumara was a reserve forest from 1895 and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1949 specifically because of its breeding population of Indian rhinoceros. It became a national park on 31 January 1992, starting at about 7 km² and later growing to roughly 80 km² through land additions.
Over 10,000 forest villagers live around the park, in settlements such as Sarswati, Budhuram, Bichabhanga, Chatua, Kailipur and Murti Forest Village, earning income from forest department work and ecotourism. Rava, Rajbanshi, Mech, Koch, Oraon, Munda, Toto and Kichak communities live at the forest edge. The British-era forest bungalow keeps a log book from its inception that visitors can read.
The best months to visit run from November through March, when humidity is lower and wildlife sightings across the plains become easier. Bagdogra Airport and New Jalpaiguri railway station provide access to regional transport networks, with roads leading directly to the park entrance.
Two distinct ecoregions meet here: the Terai-Duar savanna grasslands to the north and the moist deciduous forests of the lower Gangetic plains to the south. This overlap allows species that would normally occupy separate habitats to coexist, making the area a special observation point.
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