Valmiki Tiger Reserve

Valmiki Tiger reserve, the 18th Tiger Reserve of the country and second in Bihar is located in the northern-most part of the West Champaran district of Bihar. The Extensive forest area of Valmikinagar was owned by the Bettiah Raj and Ramanagar Raj until early 1950s. Core area was declared as a National park in 1989. Government of Bihar had notified 464.60 sq. km. Area as Valmiki Wildlife Sanctuary in 1978. Later on, in 1990 an area of 419.18 sq. km. was added to the Sanctuary. Thus Valmiki Wildlife Sanctrary embraces a total area of 880. 78 sq.km.

The Valmiki tract is broken and undulating often showing highly fragile geological formations. As a result, there are steep ravines, knife-edge ridges and precipitous walls formed by land slips and soil erosion.

The great Gandak and the Masan revers collect all the water from the numerous, tributaries. These rivers and streams keep changing course from side to side. Facilitated by the erosion prone sandy and immature soil of the banks,seasonal rivers like Panchanad, Manor, Bhapsa and Kapan display peculiar behaviour of erosion at one place and deposition of transported soil at another place.

The Hill system is the Continuation of Shiwalik Range, largely made of imperfectly compacted and ill-formed sandstone dotted with pebbles and boulders. Owing to the fragile nature of parent rock material, the soil produced at the foothill is immature, loose sand and display sheet. The menace is further aggravated by maltreatment of the forests by people in general, frequent fires and heavy grazing.As per 1997 census, there are 53 tigers and 54 leopards in the reserve.

Valmiki Tiger Reserve is home to several Species of flora such as Sal (Shorea robusta), Asan, Karama, Semal, Khair, Cane(Calamus tenuis), Jamun, Siccharrum , Mahulan, Piper, and Lagun (Peepar).

Major forest types existing in the sanctuary are Bhabar Dun Sal Forest, Dry Shiwalik Sal forests, West Gangetic Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest, Eastern Wet Alluvial Grassland, Barringtonia Swamp Forest, Khair – Sisso Forest , Cane brakes etc

There is a plethora of animals at Valmiki Tiger Reserve. Apart from the Tiger, the faunal spacies include the Leopard, Fishing Cat, Leopard Cat, Spotted Deer, Chital, Sambar, Hog Deer, Black Buck, Gaur , wolf, hyenas, Indian civets, Jungle cats, wild dogs, Sloth Bear, languor, Rhesus Macaque, etc. You will also come across birds like the peafowl and reptiles like the python at the sanctuary.

Due to construction of Baghva-Chitauni Rail-cum-Road Link Bridge, natural flow of Rohua and Kotaraihya streams were blocked and 1691 ha. Forest land has been inundated that lead to 15000 trees dying in Madanpur block in the buffer of the Reserve. Mining operation in the area also damage the reserve.

There are few archaeological important places in this area.At Lauriya Nandan Garh is a lion pillar of Ashoka, which is a single block of polished sand stone, 32’-9.5” in height with a diameter of 35.5” at base and 26.2” at the top. The pillar is over 2000 year old and in excellent condition.

Nandgarh is a huge mound composed of bricks and is about 80 feet height. According to an authoritative source, it is an Ahsok Stupa in which ashes of Buddha’s funeral pyre were enshrined.

Bawan Garhi, the remains of 52 forts and Tripan bazaar are at Darubari. Somehwar Fort is situated in Narkatiagani sub-division, near Nepal border, on top of the Someshwar hill at 2884 ft. It is believed that three rivers, Gandak, Sonha and Pachanad, merge here soon after they emerge from the hills. Triveni is also believed to be the site at which the fight commenced between Lords of Forest and Water (the Elephant and Crocodile).