Buxa Tiger Reserve (Timings, Entry Fee, Safari Online Booking & How to Reach)
Located in the Alipurduar sub-division of Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, Buxa Tiger Reserve shares the international boundary with Bhutan. To the northern side of the reserve is the Sinchula hill range while the eastern side runs along the boundary of Assam State.
Buxa was declared a tiger Reserve in the year of 1983. In the year of 1982, it was declared as the national park. Spread across an area of 761 sq. km, the Buxa tiger reserve got its name from Buxa Fort which is located on the Sinchula Range at an altitude of 867 meters.
Two rivers namely River Raidak and River Jayanti flow through the forest of Buxa. The Narathali Lake located here attracts many kinds of migratory birds making the reserve all the more attractive. Along with having closer glimpses of wild fauna and exotic flora, tourists can also go for trekking.
Flora @ Buxa Tiger Reserve
The area is consisted of mainly deciduous forests. The reserve boasts of close to 300 species of trees, 250 species of shrubs, 400 species of herbs, 150 species of orchids, 100 species of grass , 9 species of cane, 10 species of bamboo, 130 species of aquatic flora, almost 160 species of other monocotyledons and ferns, etc. Some of the prominent species here are Sal, Champ, Gamar, Simul, Chikrasi, etc.
Fauna @ Buxa Tiger Reserve
Buxa tiger reserve has the second largest population of tiger in West Bengal. First being the Sunderbans tiger reserve. Along with tigers, it has almost 73 species of mammals, 76 species of snakes, 5 species of amphibians. Some of the animals found here are Leopard, Fishing Cat, Leopard Cat, Jungle Cat, Indian Civet, Palm Civet, Wild Dogs, Malayan Giant Squirrels, Mangooses, Asian Elephant, Gaur, Small Clawless Otter, Chital, Sambar, Barking Deer, Hog Deer, Wild Buffalo, Chinese Pangolin, Clouded Leopard, etc. Reptiles like Regal Python, Monitor Lizard and various kinds of tortoises can also be seen.
The reserve has close to 390 species of birds. Some of these are Bengal florican, Fairy Bluebird, ioras, munias, finches, Black Storks, the rare Ashy Minivets, Sultan Tits, Ibis Bill, Fork-tails, Red-stars, Wag-tails, Gargani Teal, Large Whistling Teal, White Eyed Poachared, etc.
Best time to visit Buxa Tiger Reserve
The best time to visit the reserve is during the months of October to April. The reserve is closed from June 15 to September 15.
Reaching Buxa Tiger Reserve
- By air: The nearest airport to the reserve is at Bagdogra which is approximately 195 km. away.
- By rail: The nearest railways station is Alipurduar Junction or New Alipurduar which is at a distance of just 17 km.
- By road: The nearest town to the reserve is Alipurduar which is well connected to other places via road. Tourists can hire taxi from here to the reserve. Tourists can also hire taxi from Siliguri to Buxa.
Accommodation @ Buxa Tiger Reserve
For accommodation tourists have wide range of options to choose from. Various WBFDC forest rest houses can be found in the places like Rajabhatkhawa, Nimati, Barobisha, Raidak, Raimatang, Bhutanghat, Buxaduar and at the banks of River Jayanti.