'' The Van Vihar National Park is situated in the heart of Bhopal City. 445.21 hectare degraded hillock along with private Village land was initiated in 1980 and finally notified as a National Park in 1983. With the dedicated efforts of the Park management this area has now been transformed into an oasis of greenery. The area today serves as the green lung for Bhopal City. Although, having status of a National Park, the Van Vihar is developed and managed as a modern Zoological Park, following the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority. There are about 207 species of birds, 60 species of butterfly; animals like tiger, leopard, hyena, Sloth bear, lion, sambar, chital, etc. are also present at the park along with gharial, crocodile and several species of tortoise.The animals are kept in their near natural habitat.
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Van Vihar serves as green lung for the capital town of Madhya Pradesh. It harbors herbivores like Chital, Sambar, and blue bull under free ranging condition and the animals like tiger, lion, leopard, hyena, crocodile and gharial under captive condition.
Attractions in Van Vihar National Park
Fauna : Van Vihar NP houses a variety of herbivores and carnivores. While the herbivores are free ranging, the carnivores are housed in large enclosures. The carnivores include tiger, lion (Panthera leo), panther (Panthera pardus), Hyena (Hyaena hyaena), and sloth bear (Melursus ursinus). The albino sloth bear and the white tiger are the star attraction of Van Vihar.
Flora : The vegetation was in highly degraded condition and belong to southern dry deciduous scrub forests. The main species found here are Bel (Aegle marmelos), Amaltas (Cassia fistula), Babul (Acacia nilotica), Reunjha (Acacia leucophloea), Doodhi (Writea tinctoria), Lendia (Lagerstromia parviflora), Saja (Terminalia alata), Amla (Emblica officinalis), and Tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon).
Best Time to Visit Van Vihar National Park
October to March is the best time for visiting the park.
How to Reach there
Air: The nearest airport is Bhopal.
Rail: The closest railway station Habibganj & Bhopal Junction.
Road: Regular state roadways buses connect Bhopal with Indore, Ujjain, Pachmari, Khajuraho, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Sanchi, Nagpur, Jaipur.