Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the neighborhood of Corbett National Park, lies in the Nainital district of Uttrakhand. Being shielded from the excessive attention of tourists, Sonanadi National Park is a quiet and peaceful sanctuary located at the riverside of Sonanadi and amidst the virgin forests that serve as home to a large variety of fauna and flora.
Named after the river Sonanadi (meaning river of gold), Sonanadi Wildife Sanctuary is a perfect example of the Northern Indian tropical forests. Rich in fauna, Sonanadi is home to trees species of sal, sheesham, semal,bakli,tun,sain, haladu, kusum and Rohini. Aonla,Jamun, kanthber, figs and bamboo are also found in abundant here. Not only this, Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary houses a variety of medicinal plants including some endangered species of herbs and shrubs.
When it comes to the fauna part of Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, one is surprised with the large variety of avifauna found here. The wildlife reserve Sonanadi with total area of 301sq kms is a home to about 600 species of resident and migratory birds. The diversity of avifauna in Sonanadi represents approximately 6% of the total bird species in the world. Abundance of bird species in the wildlife park provides an opportunity to view 150 species of birds in a short tour to Sonanadi Sanctuary. Thrushes, warblers, pheasants,flycatchers, hornbills, wall creeper, changeable hawk eagle, emerald dove, Himalayan pied kingfisher, Himalayan bearded vulture, Shaheen falcon, brown and towny fish owls and many other bird species are found here.
Elephants; tigers; reptiles like python, monitor lizard, king cobra; different species of turtles; Gangetic gharial; mugger; mahseer; Indian trout mesmerize the tourists visiting Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary. Mamals found here are leopard, sambhar, cheetal, barking deer, wild boar, goral, otter, porcupine, yellow-throated marten and sloth bear.
Himalayan black bear and albino cheetal are also found occasionally in the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary. Corbett National Park and Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary together comprise the Corbett Tiger Reserve which holds the second largest population of tiger-Panthera tigris in the world.
Location of Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary :
Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary is around 300kms from Delhi in Uttarakhand. It is 51 kms from Ramnagar. Ramnagar Railway Station is the nearest railhead and Pant Nagar Airport (50kms) is the nearest airport.
Accommodation at Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary :
Forest Rest Houses are available at Halduparao at Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary located between the rivers Palain and Sonanadi.
Best Time to visit Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary :
November to April
