On a jumbo, spot a rhino: It’s a ride on the wild side

Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay & Pinak Priya Bhattacharya,TNN | Nov 30, 2013: A birdwatchers' paradise, one of the biggest habitats of the rhino and the bison, teeming with all sorts of wildlife... Jaldapara, at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas in North Bengal's Alipurduar , holds immense possibilities for tourists.

Situated on the banks of the Torsa, the 216.51 square-kilometre area of grassland, with patches of riverine forests, had been declared a sanctuary in 1941 for the protection of its flora and fauna. It was accorded national park status in 2012.

An elephant safari from Hollong early in the morning is a must-do to take in the exquisite beauty of the vast grasslands. The safari is the best option if you want to catch a sight of rhinos, bison and Asiatic elephants in the wild.

When it comes to birds, Jaldapara is one of the few places where the Bengal Florican (also called Bengal Bustard, a very rare bustard species), is still found. Other birds to be found here are the Crested Eagle , Palla's Fish Eagle, Shikara , Finn's Weaver, Jungle Fowl, Peacock, Peafowl, Partridge and the Lesser Pied Hornbill. So, if bird photography is your passion, you could easily spend hours exploring the vast grasslands, and have gigabytes of pictures to show off !

And that's not all, by any means. Jaldapara also teems with pythons, monitor lizards, kraits, cobras and about eight species of freshwater turtles.

But the main attraction is, without doubt, the one-horned rhino. After Kaziranga in Assam , Jaldapara has the largest rhino population. According to a survey carried out in March 2011, there are 155 of them here. Other animals in the park are elephants, sambar, barking deer, spotted deer, hog deer, wild pigs and bison. The forest area is also part of a major elephant corridor. There is evidence to suggest that three or four tigers may also be living in the tall elephant grasses that thrive in Jaldapara. So, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and book a ticket to Jaldapara. Who knows, you might get lucky and spot the big cat!