History of Dudhwa
Before
Independence, Dudhwa was an untamed land of marshes, grasslands and dense forests.
Menacing malarial mosquitoes, recurrent plague and oppressive famines were associated
with the region, making it rather inhospitable to humans, but perfect for wildlife.
By the 1950s, the marshes and grasslands were largely replaced by sugarcane and paddy. Under the guise of crop protection, the tiger and the gond, which is the local name for the barasingha, suffered terribly at the hands of poachers.
In 1968, Billy Arjan Singh, operating out of his farm in Kheri, which he christened 'Tiger Haven', began his battle to protect Dudhwa.
His efforts resulted in an area of 212 sq km being declared as 'Dudhwa Sanctuary' in the same year. With protection, the habitat improved and soon people began to talk of the magic spell woven by nature, with help from Billy.
It was only a matter of time before Dudhwa's fame spread and it was declared a National Park in 1977. Thereafter, no disturbance or non-wildlife oriented land management of any kind was legally permitted. But it took another 10 years before it was brought under the purview of Project Tiger.
Legand
Dudhwa, even to the uninitiated, is the story of Billy Arjan Singh's lifetime devotion to the cats that hope to survive here. Both Billy and Dudhwa have been the focus of conflict and debate.
The story of Tara the tigress, hand reared and released by Billy Arjan Singh into Dudhwa's wilds, is a legend. This experiment was mired in controversy with experts suggesting that the 'tame' zoo-born tigress had turned man-killer and that she would would have
to be fed by humans till the day she died. Billy's contribution to the tigers
of Dudhwa is nevertheless irrefutable.Terrain
Dudhwa's terai belt abuts the Nepal border. The habitat is nurtured by the Sharada river and its tributaries. The Mohana arm to the north flanks the Park and from there one can see the Himalayas, a mere 30 km away.
The Suheli river forms the Southern boundary and both eventually flow into the Ganges. The park covers an area of 498.29 km and the topography is rather flat, with a small 32-metre drop differentiating the extreme northern and southeastern corners.
An unusual absence of surface stones and rocks typify the soil structure. The forest soaks in 1,600 mm of rain annually and because it is well vegetated, ground water level is high along most of the forested terai.
