Singalila National Park

Singalila National Park is one of the most exotic Himalayan forests in India. Located extreme northwest of West Bengal on the border with Nepal and is a high altitude protected forest. The Singalila Ridge at an altitude of 7000 feet to 12000 feet above sea level with an area of 78.6 square kilometers. It was declared a National Park in 1992. Singalila hosts one of the region's oldest and most popular trekking routes (Manebhanjan-Singalila-Phalut). One of the very few parks in India that are entirely devoid of human settlement. The Park was the site of the world's first red panda relocation program. In 2004, Two red pandas from Darjeeling Zoo were released in Singalila. Naresh Bedi's award-winning documentary, Cherub in the Mist, was based on this program.

Red Panda

The red Panda typically grow to the size of a house cat, though their big, bushy tails add 18 inches. The pandas use their ringed tails as wraparound blankets in the chilly mountain heights. Red Panda is the only real Panda; they belong to a family on their own and discovered years before Giant Panda. Today only less than 2500 panda remain in the wild. Red pandas have a taste for bamboo, but they eat many other foods as well—fruit, acorns, roots and eggs. Red Panda prefers to eat sitting on tree branches to avoid land predators. They sleep on trees and even lick water from the moss. Red Panda sleeps most of the day; however, they eat every 4-5 hours. Red Panda breeds in winter and females are receptive only for a day in a year. Red Panda tastes the air to sense danger, one similarity with the reptile. Red Pandas are solitary, other than breeding or mother with cubs.

Forest

There are over 600 varieties of Orchids in Singalia, the largest concentration in any single geographical area in the world. Because of the park's range in altitude, it includes three separate biome type, ranging from sub-alpine to sub-tropical. Thick Bamboo, Oak, Magnolia and Rhododendron forest between 2000 and 3600 m cover the Singalila Ridge. There are two seasons of wildflower bloom - one in spring (March & April) when the Rhododendrons bloom, and another in the post-monsoon season (October), when the lower forests bloom (Primula, Geranium, Saxifraga, Bistort, Senecio, Cotoneaster and Orchids). Sandakphu is known as the "mountain of poisonous plants" due to the large concentration of Cobra Lilies (Arisaema), which grow there.

Wildlife & Birds

Park has a number of small mammals including the Red Panda, Leopard Cat, Barking Deer, Yellow- Throated Marten, Wild Boar, Pangolin & Pika. Larger mammals include the Himalayan Black Bear, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Serow and Takin. Singalila is the place for difficult and hard to find birds. The checklist for the area contains over 300 species. It has a huge list of exotic birds like- Blood Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan, Kalij Pheasant, Brown and Fulvous Parrotbills, Rufous- vented Tit, and Old World babblers like the Fire-tailed Myzornis and the Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Rosefinchs, Bullfinches, Wren Babblers, Thrushes, Nuthatchs, Treecreepers, Yahunas, Minivets & Partridges.

Getting There:
Manebhanjan, at an elevation of 7050 feet, is a non-descript little roadside hill-town and gateway to the Singalila or, more precisely Sandakphu. From Bagdogra Airport, you drive via Mirik a distance of little less than 100 kms. It will take about 4 hours to reach by car. From Darjeeling to Manebhanjan is only 1 hour 15 minutes (26kms). In Manebhanjan we get into old Land Rovers from the colonial days used to ply between Manebhanjan and Sandakphu that will take you through the park to your lodge.

Recommended Circuit:
Red Panda & Rhinos: Delhi - Bagdogra - Singalila - Bagdogra - Guwahati - Kaziranga - Delhi.

View Tour Talk to an Advisor