Rajaji National Park

Named after C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), a prominent leader of the Freedom Struggle, an Indian national park that encompasses the Shivaliks, near the foothills of the Himalayas. It is spread over 820 km², and three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal. Rajaji Park, which has several gates, and is accessible from Dehradun, Haridwar,and Kotdwar. In 1983, three wildlife sanctuaries in the area namely, Chilla, Motichur and Rajaji sanctuaries were merged into one,forming the Rajaji National Park.

Inhabiting the dense green jungles that form the park are an impressive array of creatures - 23 species of mammals - including Tiger, Leopard, Himalayan Bear, Cheetal, Hog deer, Barking deer, Sambar deer, Wild boar, Antelopes such as the Nilgai,and the Goral , Carnivores such as the Jackal, Hyena, Jungle Cat, Leopard Cat, and Civets, Himalayan and other wildlife such as Yellow-Throated Marten, Sloth Bears, Pythons, King Cobra, Common Krait, Indian Cobra and the Monitor Lizard, and above all, the Asian Elephant supplemented by a number of migratory species during the winter months. Besides that, the rivers which flow through the park harbour fish such as trout and mahseer.Apart from other smaller carnivores, the park has a good number of Tigers and Leopards.

The park is 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 Shiwalik Chir-Pine on the high reaches of the hills.