wildlife

In 1217 A.D. a young adventurer departed from his native Venice on a voyage of discovery. Among the other incredible stories he related in his "Book of Marvels", he spoke of a wondrous land filled with curious animals, like elephants, rhinos and the great striped cats. The land was India. The man was Marco Polo.

For long, Africa has been regarded as the Mecca of wildlife. Justifiably so, but in recent years the natural wealth of the Indian subcontinent has begun to offer naturalists, tourists and researchers a fascinating alternative to the once dark continent. But there is a fundamental difference between the wildlife experience of the Indian jungle and those in Africa.

To begin with, tropical jungles are dense and most often the visibility is fairly restricted. All too often visitors are lured to India by tourist brochures, which promise exciting "Tiger Safaris". They are therefore disappointed to see fewer animals than they expected. It's not that the surviving jungles are thinly populated, but that most creatures, which have mastered the art of camouflage and deception over millennia, are virtually impossible to spot unless you know what to look for. With the help of an experienced guide, part of a tree stump takes wings to reveal itself as a roosting night-in-gale, or an imperceptible movement in the grass turns out to be none other than that of the endangered tiger, an ultimate and a majestic combination of beauty and power.

It is also necessary to know why so many birds than mammals are seen. Mammals are largely nocturnal, retreating into their hideouts during the day, and are usually silent. On the other hand most birds are diurnal, quite vocal and not shy of man. Moreover, there are far more birds than there are mammals. India has about 1200 species of birds against 350 species of mammals. So, while spotting a hundred species of birds in a day is not unusual, a mammal list of even 10 is considered good. But the mystique and romance of exploring the jungle here, perhaps for this very reason, is greater than anywhere else in the world.

Natural India awaits discovery. Despite the heat and humidity, people are drawn back to the forests which Kipling immortalized. In any event, the secret for the visitors lies in knowing what to expect and in understanding that the privilege of stepping into a pure and untouched world is a reward in itself.

The Kaziranga National Park was declared a reserve for the one horned Indian rhinoceros in 1926. It lies on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra river. There are grasslands combined with impenetrable vegetation, thorny rattan cane, elephant grass and evergreen forest. Kaziranga has swampy areas and is one of the finest habitats of the Indian rhino. Among the many species one can see the Asiatic Buffalo, Indian Rhino, elephant, tiger, leopard, hog deer, swamp deer, sambar and python. Bird life includes pelican, migratory duck, ibis, hornbill, black necked stork, peacock, egret and ring tailed fishing eagle. Game viewing is done on elephant backs.
State: Assam
Season: November to April.
Area: 690 sq kms
Nearest town: Jorhat-23 kms

In the southwest of the peninsular state of Gujarat, lies the Gir National Park created to protect the last wild population of lions outside Africa. The Gir is a mixed deciduous forest with teak, flame of the forest, some acacia and banyan trees. It is a hilly tract with many rivers and offers long pleasant drives of beauty. Since 1913 when the lion population fell drastically to just 20 animals, the numbers have increased to over 250. The Asiatic Lion is slightly smaller than its African cousin and its mane is smaller. Other animals in the park are leopard, sambar (deer), chital (spotted deer), nilgai (antelope), chowsingha (four-horned antelope), chinkara (gazelle), wild boar, langur (monkey), jackal, and hyena.
State: Gujrat
Season:October to June
Area:1409 sq kms
Nearest town:Keshod / Veraval

Nestled in the foothills of Nilgiris, Bandipur National Park, once the game reserve of the Maharajas of Mysore, is 190 kms from Bangalore and 65 kms from Mysore. It is one of the 23 tiger reserves under the scheme `Project Tiger' to save the tiger and its habitat. The sanctuary is known for elephants, tiger, gaur, sambar, chital, barking deer, wild dog, wild boar, jackal, sloth bear, panther, Chowsingha etc. A very fine sanctuary, it is lush and green as the area receives abundant rainfall through June to mid November (the South West and North East monsoons). The fauna and flora have been well preserved.
State: Karnataka
Season:All year
Area: 874 sq kms
Nearest town: Gundulpet-20 kms

Nagarhole National Park, 93kms south-west from Mysore, is covered by moist as well as dry deciduous forests. This 643-sq km wildlife sanctuary is in an isolated pocket of the Coorg region. The moist forests are dense, the upper canopy reaching 30 m. These forests are the home of valuable timber like teak and rosewood. This forest is the finest home for the Asian elephant. Besides elephant there are gaur, sambar, chital, muntjac mouse deer, four horned antelope, wild boar, pangolin, porcupine, giant squirrel, flying squirrel, slender loris, sloth bear, dhole or the Asiatic wild dog and of course tiger and leopard. The forest is rich in bird life and some of the rare birds found are Malabar trogon, great black woodpecker, India pitta, Malabar pied hornbill, Malabar whistling thrush and the green imperial pigeon.
State: Karnataka
Season: All year
Area: 572 sq kms
Nearest town: Kutta-7 kms

Periyar Tiger Reserve, 777 sq km in area is set in a rich, mixed deciduous forest, interspersed with open areas of tall grass. Periyar has a splendid artificial lake dotted with snags of dead wood, which provide a perch for waterbirds; darter, grey heron, egret and kingfisher. It is one of the finest habitats for the Asiatic elephant. These enormous mammals swim in the waters and streams and usually they can be observed during the boat ride. Periyar also holds, apart from Tiger, leopard, sambar, wild dog, barking deer, the lion tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur . The forest harbours a variety of woodland birds. Boat travel is the only means of transport in the Sanctuary.
State: Kerela
Season: September to May
Area: 777 sq kms
Nearest town: Kumily-4 kms

The density of the tiger population at Bandhavgarh National Park is relatively high. The possibility of spotting Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Leopard and Tiger is very good. The park is also densely populated with animals like the Chital (Spotted Deer), Sambar, Barking Deer, Nilgai (Blue Bull), Chowsingha (Four Horned Antelope) and is rich in bird life. The terrain is rocky, rising sharply from the swampy and densely forested valley. The finest of these hills is Bandhavgarh which is bounded by great cliffs and eroded rocks. The Bandhavgarh Fort, believed to be 2000 years old, stands at the highest point. There is a temple at the fort that can be visited by jeeps. Scattered throughout the park, particularly around the fort, are numerous caves containing shrines with ancient Sanskrit inscriptions. The ramparts of the fort provide a home for vultures, blue rock thrushes and crag martins. After the lunch, proceed on a game drive into the Sanctuary. During the day, we will have the opportunity to see some of the Bird life in the environs and to visit the village.
State: Madhya Pradesh
Season: November to June
Area: 449 sq kms
Nearest town: Umaria-35 kms

Kanha National Park, 175 kms south-east of Jabalpur, is one of India's largest national park and Asia's finest park. India's one of the most successful conservation efforts of saving the Barasingha (Swamp Deer) was done here. Kanha National Park covers an area of 1945 sq kms including a core zone of 940 sq kms. The setting of Kipling's 'Jungle Book', it is a beautiful area of forest and lightly wooded grassland with many streams and rivers. It is the home of a variety of animals including tiger, panther, many species of deer, wild pig, bison, a variety of monkeys and other animals besides some 200 species of birds. It is also part of 'Project Tiger,' one of India's most important and successful conservation efforts.

Game drives are organised by the camp both in the early mornings and late afternoons by open jeeps and will be accompanied by a trained naturalist. Once the tiger is spotted anywhere in the jungle, through radio contact with the drivers, visitors will be driven to the location and then taken by elephant back to the actual site to see the tiger. This is an excellent arrangement and is very exciting.
State: Madhya Pradesh
Season: November to June
Area: 940 sq kms
Nearest town: Mandla-65 kms

Bharatpur is popular for its bird sanctuary - the Keoladeo Ghana National Park - finest in Asia, in which over 400 species of water birds. The sanctuary covers an area of 40 sq. km of swampy, lightly wooded terrain that was once the private hunting and shooting preserve of the Maharaja of Bharatpur. Today it is the protected breeding ground for many species of birds and also the home of migratory birds, especially of the Siberian Crane, that spends its winter here. Colonies of cormorants, spoonbills, storks, egrets, herons, pelicans, ibis and grey herons can be spotted all over the park, besides a fairly rich habitation of deer and snakes. The park can be explored either by cycle rickshaws (the drivers are all very capable naturalists) or by boats on the lake.
State: Rajasthan
Season: All year
Area: 28 sq kms
Nearest town: Bharatpur-2 kms

Ranthambore, with an area of 400 sq. km encompassing rocky hill crests which descend to open valleys between the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges, is dotted with water pools and fruit trees. This park gets its name from the thousand year old fortress, which looms above the forest. Well known for the diurnal activity of Tigers, Ranthambore is a very special and unusual area where a natural present meets a historical past. Sambar, cheetal, chinkara, nilgai and langur. The elusive leopard and tigers are found in this reserve with tourists standing a very good chance of seeing tigers during the day.

Dotted across the landscape are the crumbling ruins of its past glory, be it chatris or cupolas, like palaces or old guard posts, all of which reinforce the magical and ethereal quality of this great wilderness.
State: Rajasthan
Season: October to June
Area: 392 sq kms
Nearest town: Sawai Madhopur-13 kms

Corbett National Park (294 kms from Delhi) is named after Jim Corbett, the famous naturalist and the legendary hunter of the man-eaters of Kumaon. Corbett Park is endowed with a breathtaking natural beauty and abundance of wildlife. The river Ramganga meanders through the park, which is bordered by thickly wooded hills, forests of sal and grasslands known as chaurs. The great bio-diversity of the area is attributed to its situation in the Shivalik-terai biotic province in the foothills of the Himalaya, with elevations ranging from 400 mtrs to 1210 mtrs.

Since Project Tiger was launched in 1973 for the conservation of the species, Corbett has seen an increase in the tiger population. Beside tiger, other animals here are leopard, elephant, Chital, sloth bear, hog deer, barking deer, wild pig, sambhar and langur. Over 500 species of bird life can be found here - these include pheasant, peafowl, jungle fowl, drongos, lapwing, babbler, barbet, woodpecker, stork, raptors and hornbill.
State: Uttar Pradesh
Season: November to June
Area: 520 sq kms
Nearest town: Ramnagar-19 kms