Bandhavgarh National Park
A wildlife retreat, where history and nature meet, Bandhavgarh is not too far away from Kanha. Set amidst the Vindhyan ranges, the Park has a series of ridges running through it. Initially just 105.40 sq. km. in area, Bandhavgarh with 25 resident tigers, was noted for its high density tiger population. Today, it has been extended to an area of 437 sq. km.
About half the Park is covered with fine stands of sal, while mixed forests are found in the higher reaches of the hills. Stretches of bamboo and grasslands extend to the north.
The main viewing area is still in the core of the Park with its 32 picturesque, wooded hills. An ancient fort up on a precipice, 800 metres high, dominates the Park.
Bandhavgarh’s history goes back 2000 years in time and the earliest signs of habitation can be seen in the Caves excavated from the cliffs to the north of the fort. Brahmi inscription here, date back to the 1st century BC A hunting reserve of the roya! family of Rewa in more recent times, Bandhavgarh was declared a Park in 1968. This is where the famous white tigers of Rewa were discovered.
Wandering through the Park on elephant back, the chances of seeing a tiger are quite good. Also to be seen here are nilgai, chausingha, chital, chinkara, wild boar and sometimes a fox or jackal. Other inhabitants of the Park include the muntjac, jungle cat, ratel, hyena, porcupine, the rhesus macaque and the black-faced langur. About 150 species of birds are also found here and include the migratory birds that arrive in winter like the steppe eagle and various water birds.
It is possible to climb up to the Bandhavgarh fort for a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of the Park and there is also a small population of black buck that lives here, protected from the predators below.
General Information :
Best Time to Visit :
November to June.
Nearest Town :
Umaria (30 km)
How to Get Here :
Air: Jabalpur (170 km), Khajuraho (210 km)
Rail:Umaria (30 km), Jabalpur (170 km)
Bandipur National Park
In Karnataka, the two attractive wildlife parks of Nagarhole and Bandipur, though separate entities, are part of a larger contiguous wildlife reserve that includes the Mudumafai Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and the Waynad Reserve in Kerala. Both the parks are easily accessible from Mysore.
The 874.20 sq. km. Bandipur National Park, which is also a Tiger Reserve, with its open grassy woodland, lies to the south of the Kabini River white Nagarhole, 643.39 sq. km. in area, to the north of the river, has taller and denser forests.
A dam on the Kabini and its picturesque reservoir separate the two parks. In the dense moist deciduous forests of this area the upper canopy reaches heights of 30m and valuable hardwoods like teak and rosewood are also to be found here. Bandipur, lying in the shadow of the Western Ghats, is one of the finest habitats of the Asian elephant.
Drained by the Moyar River, its open forest makes it easy for visitors to see the elephant and gaur in natural surroundings. At Nagarhole, too, there are excellent facilities for viewing wildlife and large groups of gaur, elephant, sambar, chital and even the occasional tiger or leopard is seen.
Among other mammals are the muntjac, the tiny mouse deer, wild boar, pangolin, giant squirrel, slender oris, langurs and macaques. The Park has about 250 species of birds md the Malabar trogan, the Malabar pied hornbilf, the great black woodpecker, the Indian pitta and the green imperial pigeon are part of its avian variety.
Lesser cats like the jungle cat, leopard cat and rusty spotted cat are also resident species.
General Information :
Best Time to Visit :
March to August.
Nearest Town :
Gundulpet (20 km)
How to Get Here :
Air : Bangalore (190 km)
Rail : Mysore (65 km)
Corbett National Park
Nestling in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Corbett National Park extends over an area of 520.82sq.km. Varied topography and vegetation gives Corbett a rich diversity in habitats and natural beauty. Flat valleys are interspersed with hilly ridges and the Park’s rolling grasslands known as the Chaurs provide visitors with an excellent view of its inhabitants. The magnificent Ramganga River flows through the entire length of the Park and little forest streams tumble through the ravines. While dense stands of sal cloak the higher ridges, mixed deciduous forests are found throughout the Park and over 110 varieties of trees, 51 species of shrubs and over 33 kinds of bamboos and grasses are seen here.
Corbett has the highest density of tiger in the Country – approximately one every 5 sq.km. and it was here that the prestigious “Project Tiger” was launched in 1973. Four of deer – hog deer, samber, chital and barking deer and other prey like the wild boar, support the predator.
Besides the tiger, Corbett is a haven for 50 mammals, 580 kinds of birds and 25 reptile species. The Park has elephants, the Himalayan black bear in the higher elevations, sloth bear, varieties of lesser cats, dhole -the wild dog and an entire spectrum of colourful birds including water birds, pheasants, jungle fowl and the Indian hornbill.
Basking along the banks of the Ramganga are the slender snouted gharial and the mugger or marsh crocodile. The river is rich in the magnificent mahaseer – a fine sporting fish prized by anglers, though angling is not permitted inside the National Park. Excellent facilities for staying and viewing wildlife make Corbett one of the finest reserves in India. Read Full Post…