Singalila National Park, National park and bird sanctuary in Darjeeling district, India.
Singalila National Park covers 78.6 square kilometres of the Singalila Ridge in the Darjeeling district, West Bengal, from 2,300 to 4,000 metres above sea level. Its slopes carry subtropical pine forest, temperate broadleaf forest and subalpine conifer forest, with bamboo, oak, magnolia and rhododendron between 2,000 and 3,600 metres. The Rammam and Srikhola rivers flow through the park, and the ridge holds Sandakphu (3,630 m) and Phalut (3,600 m), the two highest peaks of West Bengal.
The British administration took control of the Singalila region from Sikkim in 1882 and established it as a Reserve Forest under Indian law. This action laid the groundwork for the park as it exists today.
The park has no significant history of human settlement; small villages grew along the trekking route to Sandakphu and Phalut, including a reasonably large one at Kala Pokhri beside the lake of the same name. Sandakphu is called the "mountain of poisonous plants" for its concentration of Himalayan cobra lilies (Arisaema).
Visitors can start treks from several entry points, with Maneybhanjang being a common choice for the main routes. The best time to visit is from October to May when weather conditions are more stable and trails are in good condition.
Sandakphu, West Bengal's highest peak at 3,630 m, lies inside the park and is nicknamed the "mountain of poisonous plants" for its dense stands of Himalayan cobra lilies (Arisaema). In 2004 two captive-bred red panda females, Sweety and Milli, were released here from Darjeeling's Padmaja Naidu zoo.
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