Neora Valley National Park

Neora Valley National Park is a national park in Kalimpong district, West Bengal, India that was established in 1986. Spread over an area of 88 km2, it is a rich biological zone in eastern India. It is the land of the red panda in the pristine undisturbed natural habitat with rugged inaccessible hilly terrain and rich diverse flora and fauna. It is linked to Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary of Pakyong District as well as forests of Samtse District, Bhutan via thick cover of forests.

Geography
Neora Valley National Park covers an area of 88 km2 with an elevation of 183 - 3200 m. The highest point is Rachela Danda. Much of the park is still inaccessible. It borders Pakyong District and Samtse Bhutan. The Neora River is the major water source for Kalimpong town.

Biodiversity


Avian fauna listed from this park are of A1, A2 and A3 categories with IBA site code IN-WB-06.

The primary biomes inside Neora Vally National Park are:
 * Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest of the Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests Biome 7
 * Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest of the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests Biome 8
 * Indo-Chinese Tropical Moist Forest of the Himalayan subtropical pine forests Biome 9

Flora
Neora Valley sustains a unique ecosystem where tropical, sub-tropical, sub-temperate, and temperate vegetative system still harbours a wealth of flora and fauna. The forests consists of mixed species like rhododendron, bamboo, oak, ferns, sal, etc. The valley also has numerous species of orchids, some of which are endemic to the park. Common species of rhododendron that grow in the park include Rhododendron arboreum, Rhododendron falconeri, and Rhododendron dalhousiae.

Fauna
Mammals reported from this area are Indian leopard, five viverrid species, Asiatic black bear, sloth bear, Asian golden cat, wild boar, leopard cat, goral, serow, barking deer, sambar deer, flying squirrel and tahr, red panda, clouded leopard. The semi-evergreen forests between 1600 and 2700 m host rufous-throated partridge, satyr tragopan, crimson-breasted woodpecker, Darjeeling woodpecker, bay woodpecker, golden-throated barbet, Hodgson's hawk cuckoo, lesser cuckoo, brown wood owl, ashy wood pigeon, mountain imperial pigeon, Jerdon's baza, black eagle, mountain hawk eagle, dark-throated thrush, rufous-gorgeted flycatcher, white-gorgeted flycatcher, white-browed bush robin, white-tailed robin, yellow-browed tit, striated bulbul, chestnut-headed tesia, chestnut-crowned warbler, black-faced warbler, black-faced laughingthrush, chestnut-crowned laughingthrush, streak-breasted scimitar babbler, scaly-breasted cupwing, pygmy cupwing, rufous-fronted babbler, black-headed shrike babbler, white-browed shrike-babbler, rusty-fronted barwing, rufous-winged fulvetta, brown parrotbill, fire-breasted flowerpecker, fire-tailed sunbird, maroon-backed accentor, dark-breasted rosefinch, red-headed bullfinch, gold-naped finch.

Reptilian fauna includes King cobra, common krait, green pit viper, blind snake, lizards. Insects include butterflies, moths, beetles, bees, wasps, bugs and cicadas.