Singalila National Park

Location	Darjeeling, West Bengal
Best time	March to May
Area	78.6 km square
Major Animals/Birds	Red panda, leopard cat, barking deer, yellow-throated marten, wild boar, pangolin and pika. Larger mammals include the Himalayan black bear, leopard, clouded leopard, serow and takin.

Singalila National Park is located in Darjeeling, West Bengal. Area of Singalila National Park is 78.6 km square, best time to visit Singalila National Park is between March to May.

Singalila National Park is one of India’s most unique Himalayan forests. It is a wilderness region of 78.6 square kilometres located on the Singalila Ridge at elevations ranging from 7000 to 12000 feet above sea level. In 1992, it was designated as a National Park. The environment is a temperate forest of fir, deciduous hardwood, and Rhododendron with a dense bamboo understory. In Singalia, over 600 orchid types bloom, the highest concentration in any single geographical location in the world. The area receives significant seasonal monsoon rainfall and is located in India’s Eastern Himalayan Region in the state of West Bengal. It is well-known for the hiking path that travels through it to Sandakphu. Tinchule Forest, a similar ecosystem, may still be found in Nepal.

Tinchule-Singalila is one of India’s greatest spots to spot the rare Red Panda. Within the boundaries of Singalila, there are an estimated 32 Red Pandas. More animals found here include the Himalayan Black Bear, Clouded Leopard, Leopard, Leopard Cat, Himalayan Serow, Barking Deer, Yellow-throated Marten, Wild Boar, Pangolin, Pika, and many other Eastern Himalayan exotics.
This is also a birding paradise. More than 300 bird species have been identified here. 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, bull finches, Wren Babblers, Laughingthrushes, Nuthatchs, Treecreepers, Yuhinas, Minivets, Partridges and many more.
Sandakhphu summit, located within Singalila National Park and the tallest hill in West Bengal, is one of the greatest spots to observe sunrises and sunsets. The greatest view of Kangchenjunga, also known as Sleeping Buddha or Sleeping Shiva, is from Sandakphu.

Safari Timings

For safaris in the park, old Land Rovers used by the British can be rented. They are offered at Manebhanjan’s Jeep booth. It takes around 2.5 hours to go from Maneybhanjan (30 km) to Sandakphu, and another 2.5 hours to get from Sandakphu to Phalut (20 km). A vehicle safari does not require a guide, as opposed to a hike in the park, which must. Tourists can hire licenced guides and porters from the Highlander Guides and Porters Welfare Association. Their headquarters are at Manebhanjan. Safaris into the park are also organised by tour firms located in Darjeeling.

Ranges

Singalila National Park is divided into two ranges. The southern range begins just after Manebhanjan (at the base) and runs through Tonglu, Tumling, Gairibas, Kalipokhari, Bikheybhanjan, and all the way up to Sandakphu (11,909 ft) and beyond to Phalut (11,811 ft).

Major Attractions in & Around the Park

Sandakphu Singalila National Park Sandakphu or Sandakfu or Sandakpur is the highest peak in the district of Ilam, Nepal and West Bengal, India.
Tonglu Singalila National Park Tonglu is the one of the higher peaks of the Singalila Ridge and a small settlement inside the Singalila National Park in the Darjeeling subdivision
Tendong Hill Namchi Tendong Dichhen Salhun Gumpa or Tendong Gumpa as commonly known, is situated atop 8530 ft. altitude from mean sea level . This monastery is surrounded by lush green virgin reserve forest and nearest hamlet is Damthang which is at six kilometer walking distance.
Siddheswar Dham Namchi

Birds found in Singalila National Park

Blood Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan, Himalayan Monal, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Great Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Brown Parrotbill,Common Hill Partridge ,Rufous-throated Hill Partridge ,Red Junglefowl , Himalayan Monal , Freckled Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove ,Red Collared Dove , Spotted-necked Dove, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon , Fork-tailed Swift , Greater Coucal , Greater Coucal, Common Hawk Cuckoo

Reptiles and Amphibians IN Singalila National Park

The endangered Himalayan Newt frequents the region, and congregates around the lakes of Jore Pokhri, Sukhia Pokhri and nearby lakes to reproduce. Jore Pokhri and Sukhia Pokhri are within 20 km of the park boundary, and are protected wildlife sanctuaries.

Mammals found in Singalila National Park

The following mammals are found in the Himalayas: leopard (Panthera pardus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), barking deer (Muntiacus vaginalis), Himalayan serow (Capricornis sumatraensis thar), Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral), wild boar (Sus spp (Manis pentadactyla). Spotting animals in Singalila is more difficult than spotting birds. .Small animals found in the park include the red panda, leopard cat, barking deer, yellow-throated marten, wild boar, pangolin, and pika. The Himalayan black bear, leopard, clouded leopard, serow, and takin are among the larger animals.