A day trip to Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary

A reserved forest area, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary was initially a game sanctuary where children were allowed to take rides. Sukna is the location where the entrance to the sanctuary is and it is about two and half hour’s drive from Darjeeling.  Spread across an elevation of 158 square kilometres with a varying altutide of about 500 feet at the southern end, it rises up to 4300 feet as you approach its northern boundaries. The river Teesta surrounds the sanctuary on its eastern borders and the Mahanadi river and Hill Card Road on the western boundaries.

The Darjeeling Wildlife Division of Government of West Bengal is responsible for the management of the sanctuary. Many forest villages including Kalijhora, Latpanchor, Punding, Sukna, Gulma, Toribari, Sevoke, Seventh Mile and Latlong fall under the borders of the sanctuary, making it the most important sanctuary in North Bengal.

To go a day trip to Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, drive straight down the main forest road to reach the banks of the Mahananda river. The Latpanchor hill is located exactly opposite the bank of the river. The sanctuary offers regular day safaris in the morning and afternoon from the Sukna gate. However, safaris can be conducted with private vehicles as the sanctuary does not provide any vehicles from their end.