Neora Valley National Park is a

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

in Kalimpong district, West Bengal, India that was established in 1986. It spreads over an area of , and is a rich biological zone in eastern India. It is the land of the red panda in the pristine undisturbed natural habitat with rugged inaccessible hilly terrain and rich diverse flora and fauna. It is linked to Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary of Pakyong District as well as forests of Samtse District, Bhutan via thick cover of forests.

Geography

Neora Valley National Park covers an area of with an elevation of . The highest point is Rachela Danda. The forest in Neora Valley has such luxurious growth that even sunlight finds it difficult to touch the ground. Much of the park is still inaccessible, making it an adventurous place for the nature lovers/trekkers who can take the challenge to explore the still-unknown terrain in the Kalimpong district hills. Virgin natural forests, dense bamboo groves, colourful canopy of

Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

trees, lush green valley, meandering rivers and streams with snowcapped mountains in the backdrop form a picturesque landscape. It borders Pakyong District and Samtse Bhutan. The Neora River is the major water source for Kalimpong town.

Biodiversity

Avian fauna listed from this park are of A1, A2 and A3 categories with IBA site code IN-WB-06. The primary

biomes A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...

inside Neora Vally National Park are: * Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest of the Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests Biome 7 * Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest of the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests Biome 8 * Indo-Chinese Tropical Moist Forest of the Himalayan subtropical pine forests Biome 9

Flora

Neora Valley sustains a unique ecosystem where tropical, sub-tropical, sub-temperate, and temperate vegetative system still harbours a wealth of flora and fauna. The forests consists of mixed species like

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

, bamboo, oak, ferns,

sal Sal, SAL, or S.A.L. may refer to: Personal name * Sal (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname Places * Sal, Cape Verde, an island and municipality * Sal, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Ca ...

, etc. The valley also has numerous species of orchids, some of which are endemic to the park. Common species of rhododendron that grow in the park include '' Rhododendron arboreum'', ''

Rhododendron falconeri ''Rhododendron falconeri'', the falconer rhododendron, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to the eastern Himalayas. Description It is a tree, and sometimes the dominant canopy tree, that typically grows to 12–15 me ...

'', and ''

Rhododendron dalhousiae ''Rhododendron dalhousiae'', also known as Lady Dalhousie's rhododendron, is a species of rhododendron first identified in the Eastern Himalayas by Joseph Dalton Hooker during his 1848-1850 expeditions to what is now Sikkim. It is an epiphyte, n ...

.''

Fauna

Red Panda at Neora Valley National Park West Bengal India 2012

Hoary-throated Barwing Neora Valley NP India

Maroon-backed Accentor Neora valley National Park West Bengal India 08

Mammals reported from this area are Indian leopard, five viverrid species, Asiatic black bear, sloth bear,

Asian golden cat The Asian golden cat (''Catopuma temminckii'') is a medium-sized wild cat native to the northeastern Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and China. It has been listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since 2008, and is threatened by poach ...

, wild boar, leopard cat, goral, serow, barking deer,

sambar deer The sambar (''Rusa unicolor'') is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local ins ...

flying squirrel Flying squirrels (scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini) are a tribe of 50 species of squirrels in the family Sciuridae. Despite their name, they are not in fact capable of full flight in the same way as birds or bats, but they ar ...

and tahr, red panda,

clouded leopard The clouded leopard (''Neofelis nebulosa''), also called the mainland clouded leopard, is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia into South China. In the early 19th century, a cl ...

.
IBAs in West Bengal – Page 20. The semi-evergreen forests between host rufous-throated partridge, satyr tragopan,

crimson-breasted woodpecker The crimson-breasted woodpecker or scarlet-breasted woodpecker (''Dryobates cathpharius'') is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural ha ...

Darjeeling woodpecker The Darjeeling woodpecker (''Dendrocopos darjellensis'') is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the Himalayas, and in some adjoining areas. Description A medium- ...

, bay woodpecker,

golden-throated barbet The golden-throated barbet (''Psilopogon franklinii'') is an Asian barbet native to Southeast Asia, where it inhabits foremost forests between altitude. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its wide distribution and stab ...

Hodgson's hawk cuckoo Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo (''Hierococcyx nisicolor''), also known as the whistling hawk-cuckoo is a species of cuckoo found in north-eastern India, Myanmar, southern China and southeast Asia. Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo is a brood parasite. The chick evic ...

, lesser cuckoo, brown wood owl,

ashy wood pigeon The ashy wood pigeon (''Columba pulchricollis'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae, found in temperate forests of southeastern Asia. Distribution The ashy wood pigeon has a wide range throughout Southeast Asia, able to be found in ...

mountain imperial pigeon The mountain imperial pigeon (''Ducula badia''), also known as the maroon-backed imperial pigeon or Hodgson's imperial pigeon, is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family with a wide range in southeastern Asia. Taxonomy The Malabar im ...

, Jerdon's baza, black eagle, mountain hawk eagle, dark-throated thrush, rufous-gorgeted flycatcher,

white-gorgeted flycatcher The white-gorgeted flycatcher (''Anthipes monileger'') is a species of passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It is native to Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtrop ...

white-browed bush robin The white-browed bush robin (''Tarsiger indicus'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found from the Himalayas to south-central China and Taiwan. Its natural habitat is Rhododendron and conifer forests. The subspecies ''formo ...

, white-tailed robin, yellow-browed tit, striated bulbul, chestnut-headed tesia,

chestnut-crowned warbler The chestnut-crowned warbler (''Phylloscopus castaniceps'') is a species of leaf warbler (family Phylloscopidae). It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesi ...

black-faced warbler The black-faced warbler (''Abroscopus schisticeps'') is a species of bush warbler (family Cettiidae). It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. Its natural ...

black-faced laughingthrush The black-faced laughingthrush (''Trochalopteron affine'') is a bird species in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in the Eastern Himalayas. Its range extends from eastern Nepal eastwards to Arunachal Pradesh in India and further to Myanm ...

chestnut-crowned laughingthrush The chestnut-crowned laughingthrush (''Trochalopteron erythrocephalum'') is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal. The silver-eared laughingthrush, formerly included as a subspecies, is ...

streak-breasted scimitar babbler The streak-breasted scimitar babbler (''Pomatorhinus ruficollis'') is a species of bird in the family Timaliidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical ...

, scaly-breasted cupwing, pygmy cupwing, rufous-fronted babbler,

black-headed shrike babbler The black-headed shrike-babbler (''Pteruthius rufiventer'') is a bird species traditionally placed with the Old World babblers in the family Timaliidae.Collar, N. J. & Robson, C. 2007. Family Timaliidae (Babblers) pp. 70–291 in; del Hoyo, ...

, white-browed shrike babbler,

rusty-fronted barwing The rusty-fronted barwing (''Actinodura egertoni'') is a species of bird in the laughingthrush family, Leiothrichidae. It is found in Southeast Asia from the Himalayas to north-eastern Myanmar. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subt ...

, rufous-winged fulvetta,

brown parrotbill The brown parrotbill (''Cholornis unicolor'') is a parrotbill found in the central and eastern Himalayas. It is also known as the brown suthora. This is a long grey-brown bird with a long tail and a characteristic small, yellowish, parrot-like b ...

fire-breasted flowerpecker The fire-breasted flowerpecker (''Dicaeum ignipectus'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Like other flowerpeckers, this tiny bird feeds on fruits and plays an important role in the ...

fire-tailed sunbird The fire-tailed sunbird (''Aethopyga ignicauda'') is a species of sunbird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the Himalayas, and also in some adjoining regions in Southeast Asia ...

maroon-backed accentor The maroon-backed accentor (''Prunella immaculata'') is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is temperate forest A temperate forest is a forest found betwe ...

, dark-breasted rosefinch,

red-headed bullfinch The red-headed bullfinch (''Pyrrhula erythrocephala'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae, found all across the Himalayas and adjacent highlands. It is found in Bhutan, northern India, Nepal and adjacent southern Tibet. Its natural ...

, gold-naped finch. Reptilian fauna includes King cobra, common krait,

green pit viper Green pit viper is a common name for several venomous snakes and may refer to: *''Trimeresurus albolabris'', native to southeastern Asia from India to China and Indonesia *''Trimeresurus macrops'', native to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam *''Trime ...

, blind snake,

lizards Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia althou ...

. Insects include

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

moths Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

beetles Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

bees Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

, wasps,

bugs Bugs may refer to: * Plural of bug Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters * Bugs Bunny, a character * Bugs Meany, a character in the ''Encyclopedia Brown'' books Films * ''Bugs'' (2003 film), a science-fiction-horror film * ''Bugs ...

and cicadas.

References

External links