Valmiki National Park cum Wildlife Sanctuary is situated at Betiah in West Champaran district, Bihar, India.

Valmiki Wildlife Sanctuary is a Project Tiger Reserve, to save Royal Bengal Tigers, India’s National Animal, from extinction. The Tiger Reserve is called the Valmiki Tiger Reserve and is part of the Gangetic Plains. Valmiki Tiger Reserve is the only Tiger reserve in the state of Bihar.

Valmiki National Park forms the eastern border of the Himalayan Terai landscape. These forests are rich in flora and Fauna. There are more than 250 species of birds in the Valmiki National Park. Valmiki National Park has the most extensive grasslands in India.

Bheriyari Watchtower is a must-see location, where you can see herds of herbivores, in their natural habitat, and it is a bird-watching site. Bhikhna Thori is a popular picnic spot at the north-eastern corner of the sanctuary, bordering Nepal. You can also go Boating or Rafting in the Rohua Nala River, a tributary of river Gandak. Sikara is a boating cum bird-watching location. Trekking 1.5 kilometers through the dense forests to Manor Watchtower, to have a view of Manor River and the beautiful snow-clad Himalayan hills, is also popular among tourists.

Nature Walk accompanied by guides through a designated four to five-kilometer route is also available. Tiger Trail trekking in the mornings, accompanied by experts, on the paths traversed by the Bengal tigers, gives you excellent insights into Tigers. Children under 15 are not allowed for these two trekking: Nature walk and Tiger Trail trekking.

Valmiki Ashram, a religiously significant place for Hindus, is in this National park close to the India-Nepal border. It’s the place of Valmiki, the great epic writer who wrote Ramayana. It’s where Laxman abandoned Sita as per Lord Ram’s commandment. Sita gave birth to Luv and Kush in this Valmiki Ashram.

How do I Go To Valmiki National Park?

Valmiki National Park is accessible from Betiah village, which is well connected by roads to other parts of Bihar. “Valmiki Nagar Railway Station” is the nearest railway station on the Gorakhpur-Muzaffarpur railway line, via Narkatiaganj.

Patna Airport is the nearest airport to the National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. Patna is around 275 kilometers from the National Park and Tiger Reserve. Muzaffarpur is at a distance of 200 kilometers from the wildlife sanctuary.

Vaishali, the World’s First Republic, is around 140 kilometers from the National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Is Accommodation Available Inside the National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary?

Yes, There are ten Eco-friendly huts with double occupancy beds at four places: Two each at Valmiki nagar, Naurangia Done, Manguraha, and Four Eco-huts at Gobardhana. There is also a tree hut at Kotraha.

Apart from Eco-huts, there are forest department Guesthouses at Gobardhana, Kotraha, Madanpur, Manguraha, Manpur, and Naurangia Done. Tourists can book those in advance and stay there. There are four wooden double bedrooms in a heritage building at Ganauli.

2022 October Man-Eating Tiger Killing Incident

Though India gives great importance to Tiger conservation, one tiger, identified as T-104, was shot dead at around 3.15 pm on Saturday, 8th October 2022, in the Champaran region. This Bengal Tiger has killed ten human beings and many domestic animals.

A special task force of Bihar police involving 400 men was successful in killing the man-eating 3-year-old male Tiger on the fringe areas of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve after 28 days of marathon search for it, over an area of 30 square kilometers. Eight Gunmen were seated on top of four elephants. Approximately 200 men guarded the village. The entire village was cordoned off. All exit or escape routes were blocked. It had been shot with three bullets, after a seven-hour-long rigorous hunting.