Besides the rhino, the park is also

home to a sizeable population of All the forests of north Bengal

elephants, leopards, gaurs and
a variety of deer and is also a
paradise for bird lovers.
Interestingly, the elephants
used for safaris in Jaldapara
are employees of the state
government and draw monthly
slalaries, have a retirement age
and are eligible for pension post
retirement!
remain closed during the
monsoons (15 June-15 September).
Further, it is not advisable to
travel to the forests immediately
after they open as monsoons in
north Bengal may stretch well into
October. Also, immediately after
the monsoons, roads can be in a
bad shape and the journey may be
longer and more difficult than in
the dry seasons.

Torsha river separates a stretch of

deep forests from the main sanctuary. Known ABOVE: Enjoy the park
as Chilapata, this stretch is so impenetrable on an elephant safari
that driving through them is like carving through the dense
ones way through a green tunnel! It acts as forest criss-crossed
an elephant corridor between Jaldapara and with streams
Buxa Tiger Reserve. Deep inside Chilapata
forest are the remains of an ancient fort
which historians say could date back to the
Gupta period (4th-7th centuries AD).

The small town of Madarihat is the gateway

to Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary. Bookings
for elephant and jeep safaris can be made at
Tourism Centres at Madarihat, Siliguri, Kolkata.

Khayerbari, 11 kms from Madarihat, has a

Leopard Rehabilitation Centre and Nature
Park set up by the Forest Department,
Government of West Bengal. Totopara, 22 kms
from Madarihat is home to Toto tribe, one of
the least numerous tribes in the world.

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