Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary

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

Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary
Entrance to the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary, Darjeeling
Location	Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India
Coordinates	26°59′38″N 88°15′55″E
Area	38.6 km2 (14.9 sq mi)
Established	1915; 110 years ago (1915)

Geography

Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries of India and covers an area of 38.6 km² (14.9 sq mi). The elevation ranges from 1,500 to 2,600 m (4,900 to 8,500 ft).^{[citation needed]}

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.^[1]

The temperature range is from 1.7 °C (35.1 °F) during the cold season to 18.9 °C (66.0 °F) during the hot season.^[2]

In 2022, scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have sighted the Satyr tragopan, a rare bird in the park.^[3]

Tourism

Darjeeling's first cycle-only trail was opened in the park in January 2017.^[4][5]