Valmiki Tiger Reserve is located in the foothills of Himalayas on the north-west corner of Bihar, spread over Northern part of the West Champaran district. The terrain is undulating with a rich soil. Rivers Gandak, Pandai, Manor, Harha, Masan and Bhapsa flow through various parts of the reserve. By and large, the reserve is spread over lower Shivalik region with a deep water table. The tract is porous with boulders and sand deposits.
Valmiki Tiger Reserve is called kashmir of Bihar . Virgin greenery, Network of rivers and canals , pleasant weather, Biodiversity, Gandak Dam,Jungle Safari, elephant ride, sunrise, Boating,Staying in tree house, cycling, Valmiki asharam, Gaj-Grah, traditional Tharu culture, someshwar mountain series, and much more can definitely give you a beautiful vacation with your family rather than so famous crowdy holiday spots. Valmiki ashram which has great historic significance is also located quite close to the reserve in the Chitwan National Park. Forest safaris are arranged by the forest department offering tourists the opportunities to have a closer look at the rich wildlife and flora of the reserve. Along with knowing a wide variety of exotic flora and fauna, there are various sightseeing opportunities as well. Some of the places worth visiting are Valmikinagar dam situated on the River Gandaki, Gobardhana with only standing Asokan pillar and Manguraha.
Habitat Attributes
Flora
As per Champion and Seth’s classification there are seven forest types in the Tiger Reserve, owing to its diverse topographical and edaphic factors. The vegetation types include mainly Moist mixed deciduous, Open-land vegetation, Sub-mountainous semi evergreen formation, Freshwater swamps, Riparian fringes, Alluvial grasslands, high hill savannah and Wetlands. In general, the vegetation comprises of sal and mixed forests, interspersed with grasslands and riparian vegetation. There are more than 100 tree and 50 shrub species.
Fauna
Diverse habitats of the Sanctuary support a variety of faunal life forms. Tigers, Leopards and Indian Wild Dogs are the large predators. Leopard cat and fishing cat are also found in patches. Deer species are represented by spotted deer, sambar, barking deer and hog deer. Indian bison (Gaur), Nilgai and wild boar are other ungulates found in these forests. Rhesus macaque and common Langur are primates of the sanctuary.
Tiger Status
Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) is the 18th tiger reserve in the country. The reserve has a very good potential of harboring tigers subsequent to development of suitable habitats with scientific management interventions. As per 2010 country level assessment using refined methodology, the tiger estimate for the Valmiki landscape was 8. Recently the tiger count as concluded through camera trap method has gone up to 23, which is an encouraging sign for VTR.
Best time to visit Valmiki Tiger Reserve
The best time to visit the reserve is during the months of October to June. The summers are generally hot and monsoon season sees heavy rainfall. Winters are quite cold and temperature sometimes goes to even single digits.
