Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary

Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary lies on the edge of Siliguri, in the forested foothills between the Mahananda and Teesta rivers. It is best known as an elephant corridor: around 150 elephants pass through each year in winter and the rains, moving between West Bengal, Nepal and Assam. Altitude rises from about 500 ft at Sukna to over 4,300 ft at Latpanchar, which explains its varied plant and animal life.

Watchtowers are the main way to see wildlife. The one at Laltong, by the Teesta, overlooks the elephant route, and the disused Gulma railway cabin in the core zone now serves as a tower for spotting deer and gaur. Salt licks in forest clearings draw animals at dawn and dusk. Sambar, rhesus macaques, serow, Himalayan black bears and tigers are also found. Some 330 plant species grow here, including sal, teak and bamboo, and more than 300 bird species have been recorded, among them rufous-necked hornbills and racket-tailed drongos; the area is listed as an Important Bird Area.