Wildlife Tours In India
India is home to a rich diversity of wildlife supplemented by an equally rich variety of flora and fauna. The sight and sounds of a majestic elephant, a peacock’s dance, the stride of a camel, the roar of a tiger are unparalleled experiences in themselves. The country offers immense opportunities for wildlife tourism. The immense heritage of wildlife in India comprises of more than 70 national parks and about 400 wildlife sanctuaries including the bird sanctuaries.
India’s National Animal, the tiger happens to be a symbol of strength and speed. India boasts of two-dozen Tiger Reserves. The fastest mammal on Earth, the tiger happens to be the joy and pride of India. The Royal Bengal tiger is amongst the most majestic species of the tiger. Sixty percent of the total population of the wild tigers in the world resides in India. Indian wildlife has its share of native birds along with the migratory birds. Several hundred species of birds can be spotted across India.
Apart from all this India is also a home to Aisatic Lions and One Horned Rhinoceros
Some of the important Wildlife Sanctuary of India are:
Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore National Park is one of the biggest and most renowned national parks in Northern India. Today the Ranthambore National Park terrain is major wildlife tourist attraction spot that has pulled the attention of many wildlife photographers and lovers in this destination.
Keoladeo Ghana National Park OR Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Keoladeo Ghana National Park is a man-made and man-managed wetland and one of the declared World Heritage Site. Every year thousands of migratory waterfowl visit the park for wintering breeding etc. The Sanctuary is one of the richest bird areas in the world. It is known for nesting of its resident birds and visiting migratory birds including water birds. The rare Siberian cranes used to winter in this park but this central population of Siberian Cranes is now extinct.
Bandhavgarh National Park
Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the popular national parks in India. Bandhavgarh was declared a national park This park has a large biodiversity. The density of the tiger population at Bandhavgarh is one of the highest known in India. The park has a large breeding population of Leopards, and various species of deer. Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa captured the first white tiger in this region in 1951. This white tiger, Mohan, is now stuffed and on display in the palace of the Maharajas of Rewa.
Kanha National Park
Kanha national Park was an inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel “Jungle Book”. The Park’s landmark achievement is the preservation of the rare hardground Swamp Deer (Barasingha), saving it from near extinction. This national park has the highest desnity of Tiger Population in India. The question often asked after the game drive in this park is “How many tigers have you spotted” The park has a significant population of Royal Bengal Tiger, leopards, the sloth bear, Barasingha and Indian wild dog
Gir National park
It is the sole home of the pure Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica) and is considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia due to its supported species. The forest area of Gir and its lions were declared as “protected” in the early 1900s by the then Nawab of the princely state of Junagadh. This initiative assisted in the conservation of the lions whose population had plummeted to only 15 through slaughter for trophy hunting. The April 2010 census recorded the lion-count in Gir at 411, an increase of 52 compared to 2005.
Periyar National Park
Periyar is a protected area, and a nature reserve in the South Indian State of Kerala. The sanctuary surrounds picturesque Periyar lake, formed by the building of Mullaperiyar Dam. This place is famous for elephant. Altogether 62 different kinds of mammal have been recorded in Periyar, including many threatened ones. Periyar is a highly protected tiger reserve and elephant reserve. Other mammals found here include gaur, Bison, sambar (horse deer), barking deer, mouse deer, Dholes (Indian wild dogs), mongoose, foxes and leopards. Also inhabiting the park, though rarely seen are the elusive Nilgiri tahr. Four species of primates are found at Periyar – the rare lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, the common langur, and the Bonnet Macaque.
Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga is a title of a remarkable success story of conservation of the One Horned India Rhinoceros. The values and criteria made Kaziranga National Park to get inscribed in the World Heritage Site List 1985. A World Heritage Site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world’s Great One-horned Rhinoceroses. Kaziranga boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.