| Dudhwa National Park | |
|---|---|
| Dudhwa Tiger Reserve | |
 A tiger in Dudhwa National Park | |
  Location in Uttar Pradesh Show map of Uttar Pradesh Dudhwa National Park (India) Show map of India | |
| Location | Dudhwa,Lakhimpur Kheri district,Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Nearest city | Lakhimpur andPalia Kalan |
| Coordinates | 28°30.5′N80°40.8′E / 28.5083°N 80.6800°E /28.5083; 80.6800 |
| Area | 614 km² |
| Established | 1977; 48 years ago (1977) |
| Visitors | 26,000 (in 2022)[1] |
| Governing body | Uttar Pradesh State Government |
Dudhwa National Park is anational park in theTerai belt of marshygrasslands in northernUttar Pradesh, India. It stretches over an area of 490.3 km2 (189.3 sq mi), with a buffer zone of 190 km2 (73 sq mi). It is part of theDudhwa Tiger Reserve in the Kheri and Lakhimpur districts.[2]
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The area of today's Dudhwa National Park was established in 1958 as a wildlife sanctuary forswamp deer. It was notified as a national park in January 1977 thanks to the efforts ofBilly Arjan Singh.[3][failed verification]In 1987, Dudhwa National Park together withKishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary andKatarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary was declared atiger reserve named Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.[2]
Dudhwa National Park is located inLakhimpur Kheri district ofUttar Pradesh. The area of the park falls within the UpperGangetic plains and is a vastalluvial plain ranging in elevation from 150 m (490 ft) in the farthest southeast to 182 m (597 ft) in the north.[3]
Dudhwa National Park has ahumid subtropical climate with dry winters. From mid-October to mid-March, temperatures hover between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F). Annual temperature vary between 6 °C (43 °F) in the winter and 45 °C (113 °F) in the summer. The prevailing winds arewesterlies, although easterly winds are common during the rainy season from June to September.[3]
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Dudhwa National Park is home to diverse wildlife species includingswamp deer,sambar deer,barking deer,spotted deer,hog deer,Bengal tiger,Indian elephant,Indian rhinoceros,Indian leopard,sloth bear,honey badger,golden jackal,Viverrinae,jungle cat,fishing cat andleopard cat.[4][5]Dudhwa National Park has a large population ofbarasingha, estimated at 3,000 individuals as of 2021.[6]Billy Arjan Singh successfully hand-reared and reintroduced zoo-born tigers and Indian leopards into the wilds of Dudhwa.[7] Some rare species inhabit in the park.Hispid hare, earlier thought to have become extinct, was rediscovered here in 1984.
In 1984-85, Indian rhinoceros was reintroduced into Dudhwa National Park fromAssam andNepal.[8] In 2024, there were 46 rhinos in the park.[9]
Dudhwa National Park is habitat of over 400 species of birds, including both resident and migratory. It includesIndian peafowl,ducks,geese,hornbills,heron,hawk,bee-eaters,minivets,kingfishers,painted storks,sarus cranes,swamp francolin,woodpeckers,barbets,minivets,bee-eaters,bulbuls,Bengal florican,Asian barbets,drongos,barbets,cormorants,teal,egrets,orioles,painted stork,fishing eagle,owls.[5]Thewhite-rumped vulture andred-headed vulture, bothCritically Endangered vulture species have been sighted in the park.[10][11]
