Further
east along the Terai, the Dudhwa National Park, which is also a Tiger
Reserve, is localted in the district of Lakhimpur - Kheri, very
close to the Nepal border. The 498.29 sq.km. Park has fine sal forests and
extensive grasslands. Tall coarse grass sometimes forming impenetrabel
thickets, swampy depressions and lakes characterstics the wetlands of the
Park. These are the habitat of large numbers of barasingha, the
magnificnet swamp deer, noted for their multi-tined antlers
(bara-12,singha-horn). These in turn support the predators-the tiger and
leopard. Though the PARK has a fair population of tigers, they are rarely
seen owing to the nature of the forest cover. The grasslands are also
ideal terrain for the indian one horned rhinoceros. In an exciting project
undertaken in 1984, a number of rhinos were translocalted here from Assam
and Nepal, in an attempt to extend their habitats and to exclude the
possibility of wiping out entire populations through diseas and epidemics.
Presently, 13 rhinos can be seen in Dhudwa. Other inhabitants include the
sloth bear, jackal, wild pig and the lesser cats- fishing cat, leopard
cat, jungle cat and civet. Dudhwa has also an abundance of birds. There
are spectacular painted storks, black and white necked storks, sarus
cranes and varied night birds of prey, ranging from the great Indian
horned owl to the jungle owlet, Colorful woodpeckers, barbets,
kingfishers, minivets, bee eaters and bulbuls flit through the forest
canopy.