Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary

Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary was set up in 1915 in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India.

Geography
Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries of India and covers an area of 38.6 km2. The elevation ranges from 1500 to 2600 m.

Ecology
Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary provides habitat for barking deer, wild boar, Himalayan black bear, Indian leopard, jungle cat, rhesus monkey, Assam macaque, and Himalayan flying squirrel. The sanctuary is also rich in bird life. The two Senchal lakes supply drinking water to the town of Darjeeling.

The sanctuary consists of compactly blended natural and man-made forests. Oak is the most represented, followed by Kapasi, Katus, Kawla, Champ, etc.

The temperature range is from 1.7 C during the cold season to 18.9 C during the hot season.

In 2022, scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have sighted the Satyr tragopan, a rare bird in the park.

Tourism
Darjeeling's first cycle-only trail was opened in the park in January 2017.