Rajaji National Park was named after C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), a prominent leader of the Freedom Struggle, the first and last Governor-General of independent India and one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna (in 1954).
Tiger reserve status
The Union government has given the nod to a proposal to grant Rajaji National Park the status of a tiger reserve. It will be the second tiger reserve[3][4] in the state after the Corbett Tiger Reserve, and 48th such reserve in India. As per directions of the Tiger Conservative Authority of India, Rajaji National Park will be a core area of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, whilst about 300 km2 of the Shyampur range of the Haridwar forest division; furthermore, parts of Kotdwar and Laldhang forest division (which function as a buffer zone) will also be included in the project, augmenting the total area to 1150 km2.
Final approval was accorded to Kudremukh (Karnataka) and Rajaji (Uttarakhand) as tiger reserves on 15 April 2015.[5]
Rajaji National Park is predominantly formed from dense green jungles, and this environment forms a habitat for a number of animals. The park is at the northwestern limit of distribution for both Indian elephants and Bengal tigers in India, for which it is most renowned. The goral and the tahr, two types of goat-antelope, are also noteworthy residents, mainly staying on the precipitous, pine-covered slopes. Besides pachyderms and the nimble caprids, huge herds of chital (axis deer) are also found in the park, sometimes numbering as many as
Over 315 species of birds are found in the park, whereas the wider region has over 500 species of birds, including both residents and migrants.[2]
The rivers which flow through the park harbour species of fish such as trout and mahseer.
Incidents
Rajaji National Park was in the news in April 2010 when a forest fire which started on the fringes of the park, spread out over a large area and threatened the Chandi Devi Temple.[6]
There are also many leopards that are becoming man eaters leading to many man-animal conflict situations. Elephants require a very large area and they may wander into populated areas. Unfortunately, Rajaji is just outside the Indian city of Haridwar and there are many wild animals wandering in the city.[7]