About Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Location:
- It is situated in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal.
- It is located on the foothills of the Himalayas and in between the Teesta and the Mahananda rivers.
- It was started as a game sanctuary for children in 1955. In 1959, it got the status of a sanctuary mainly to protect the Indian Bison and Royal Bengal Tiger.
- The Sanctuary reaches up to a high elevation at Latpanchar in Kurseong Hill.
- Terrain: The terrain is undulating, with moderate to steep slopes and high ridges towards the north.
- Vegetation: It varies mainly from riverine forests to dense mixed-wet forests due to the difference in altitude.
- Flora:
- Mainly, Sal, Shisu, Teak and Jarul forests are available here.
- Other plantations include Udal, Champ, Lali, Jarul, Gamar, Mandane, Bamboos, Ferns, Orchids, Sidha etc.
- Fauna:
- The important mammalian species include the Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian elephants, Indian bison, spotted deer, barking deer, many species of lesser cat, Himalayan black bear, etc.
- The Sanctuary also holds hundreds of feathered species. It includes endangered species like fairy bluebird, Himalayan pied hornbill, etc.
