Overview
In the year of 1983, Rajaji Wildlife Sanctuary of Uttaranchal was merged with Motichur
and Chilla wildlife sanctuaries and made into Rajaji National Park. The park has been
named after Late Sri C. Rajgopalachari (also known as Rajaji), a famous freedom fighter
and first governor general of India. Rajaji National Park of India spreads over an area of
820.42 sq km.
This national park was declared as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in the year 2015 and
became the second tiger reserve in Uttarakhand. Rajaji National Park is situated along the hills
and foothills of Shiwalik ranges in the Himalayan foothills and represents the Shiwalik ecosystem. It is predominantly covered with diverse forest types ranging from semi-evergreen to
deciduous and from mixed broad-leaved to terai grassland and has been classified as IndusGanges Monsoon Forest type. Lofty strands of sal dominate in many parts.
Rajaji is thickly foliated predominantly by the Sal Forest and a number of other forest types
which include the Western Gangetic Moist and Northern dry Deciduous and Khair-Sissoo
forests. Low Alluvial Savannah Woodlands cover the drier southern margins of the park, in
contrast to the ShiwalikChir-Pine on the high reaches of the hills.
With the Leopard, Tiger & Elephant at the apex of the food chain, the reserve also boasts 600
elephants, 250 leopards and 30 tigers that will soon be outnumbered. It contains 55 species of
mammals, more than 315 species of birds, about 80 species of butterflies, about 29 species of
reptiles.
General information
Established: 1983
Area: 820.50 square kilometers
Popular mammals: elephant, leopard, tiger, barking deer, goral and nilgai .
Popular birds: brown hawk-owl, great hornbill, red junglefowl, lineted barbet, crested kingfisher, black-hooded oriole and khaleej pheasant .
Forest type: semi evergreen to deciduous and sal vegetation with grassland .
How to Reach: 30 minutes drive from Dehradun Airport
- 4.5 Hours drive from Delhi International Airport
- Well connected to major metro cities such as Delhi, Dehradun and Mumbai.
