Wildlife Parks

By Peetuldience on March 14, 2019

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.

General Information :

Best Time to Visit :
November- May.

Nearest Town :
Ramnagar (51 Km)

How to Get Here :
Air: Pantnagar (110 Km)
Rail: Ramnagar (51 km)

Gir National Park

Located in the south west of the Saurashtra peninsula, the Gir National Park is a haven to about 300 Asiatic lions. The 1,412.13 sq. km. Park has a rugged terrain and the steep rocky hillsides are covered in mixed deciduous forests.

There are teak, ber, and flame of the forest and banyan trees. Streams run through the deep ravines. The lions, a smaller more compact version of their African cousins, are best viewed at dawn or dusk when they are on the move.

Gir also has nearly 210 leopards and numerous chital, nilgai, chinkara, the four homed antelope and wild boar. Marsh crocodiles are often seen along its rivers.

The forest is rich in bird life and the paradise flycatcher black headed cuckoo shrike woodpecker, Bonelli’s eagle, crested serpent eagle, painted sand grouse, bush quail and grey partridge are among the variety that is found here. Three unusual reserves, the Nalsarovar Lake and Sanctuary where large numbers of water-birds can be seen; the bare saline flats of the Rann of Kutch, incredibly the home of the Indian wild ass and the spectacular Flamingo Island where nesting colonies of flamingoes are to be seen, make Gujarat an exciting place for wildlife enthusiasts.

General Information :

Best Time to Visit :
December- Mid- June (Closed during Monson till mid October).

Nearest Town :
Veraval (42 km)

How to Get Here :
Air: Keshod (86 km)
Rail: Sasan Gir (1km)

Kanha National Park

Located in the Mandia district of Madhya Pradesh, the Kanha National Park is a Tiger Reserve that extends over 1945 sq. km. of undulating country. Elevations range from 450 to 900 meters.

A horseshoe shaped valley bounded by the. spurs of the Mekal ridge gives Kanha an interesting topography. The Surpan River meanders through Kanha’s central maidans – grasslands that Dover the extensive plateaus. Steep rocky escarpments along their edges offer breathtaking views of the valleys below.

The grasslands at Kanha interspersed with forests of sal, teeming with varieties of deer – the barasinqha, chital (spotted deer), chousingha, nilgai, the majestic gaur (Indian bison) and wild pig, is ‘tiger country’. It is ideal for viewing both the predator and the prey.

It was here at Kanha that the eminent zoologist George Schaller undertook the first ever-scientific study of the tiger. Another landmark at Kanha is the preservation of the “hard ground’ barasingha (cervus duvauceli branderi) – the only surviving population of this Central Indian subspecies. This was achieved by extending the grasslands, relocating villages and by increasing the habitat.

The animals at Kanha are best observed from elephant back and the open country makes the chance of sightings reasonably good. Deer are seen along the maidans and gaur at Bamhindadr or in the Bishanpura Sondhar- Ghorella area of the Mukki range. This area is also ideal for spotting the dhole or wild dog. spotting the dhole or wild dog. Langurs, wild boar, water fowl and birds are also commonly seen.

General Information :

Best Time to Visit :
March to June

Nearest Town :
Mandla (65 Km)

How to Get Here :
Air: Jabalpur (170 km), Nagpur (270 km)
Rail: Jabalpur (170 km), Nagpur (270 km)

Keoladeo National Park

Just 176 km. from Delhi is a very special wilderness – the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, one of the finest water-bird sanctuaries in the world. The 28.73 sq. km. lake and wetland was artificially created by the Maharaja of Bharatpur in the 19th century.

By building small dykes and dams and diverting water from an irrigation canal, he converted this low lying area into a fine wild fowl shooting preserve. In a few years, the new wetland surrounded by marginal forests was able to support thousands of water birds.

Commonly referred to as Bharatpur, the Park is a delight for bird watchers. Over 300 species of birds are found here and raised paths, camouflaged by babul trees and undergrowth make viewing easy. A quiet ride by boat in the early hours of the morning is also an unforgettable experience.

There are mixed heronries on the half submerged babul trees and the cacophony is unbelievable as painted storks, open bills, spoon bills, egrets, cormorants, white ibis and multitudes of others, tend their young.

Jacanas with their iridescent colors and elegant tail feathers and purple moorhen can be seen delicately treading over the floating vegetation. While harriers and fishing eagles circle overhead in search of prey, the pied kingfisher hovers dramatically over the water in a flurry of wings.

There are varieties of storks and cranes and the local sarus crane is elegant in a livery of grey and red. Every year Bharatpur waits with coated breath for the arrival of the Siberian cranes.

There are only two wintering places for this rare species -one in Iran and the other Bharatpur and these beautiful birds with their distinctive red beaks and facial patches, fly over 6400 km from their summer retreats in Siberia, to get to them. In 1996, there was great jubilation as a couple of Siberian cranes with a young one made an appearance in Bharatpur after a lapse of three years.

The forests around the lake at Bharatpur harbor the sambar, chital, nilgai, jackal, hyena, fox, mongoose and porcupine. Occasionally, a fishing cat can be seen scooping its prey also commonly seen sunning themselves along edge of the paths or at Python Point.

General Information :

Best Time to Visit :
Throughout the Year.

Nearest Town :
Bharatpur (2 km)

How to Get Here :
Air: Agra (50 km)
Rail: Bharatpur (2 km)

Manas National Park

The Manas Reserve, located in the foothills of the Bhutan hills, far from human habitation, is a world in itself. The Manas River flowing through the Park demarcates the border between India and Bhutan.

The Park has vast deciduous forests where the dense cover often cuts out the light. Its wet grasslands are the home of the rhino, water buffalo, elephant and tiger. Manas is noted for its population of the rare golden langur – found only in this part of the country. They are often spotted in the tall trees.

Other primates in the Park include the capped langur, Assamese macaque, the slow loris and the hoolock gibbon. These are rarely seen but the whooping call of the hoolock gibbon can be heard resounding through the forest.

The Reserve is also home to the attractive red panda but these are only seen occasionally in the higher elevations. Manas is a very special biosphere, for it harbors twenty species of birds and animals that are highly endangered and listed in the IUCN Red Data Book. These include the hispid hare and the pigmy hog.

Over 2840 sq. km. in area, Manas is a fascinating tiger reserve.

General Information :

Best Time to Visit :
November to April

Nearest Town :
Barpeta Road (40 Km)

How to Get Here :
Air: Guwahati (186 Km)
Rail: Barpeta Road (40 Km)

Panna National Park

Previously a hunting reserve of the Panna family, the area was declared a national park in 1981.The main attraction of the parks are tiger, sloth bear, wolf, chital, chinkara and samber.

General Information :

Location :
Encompassing the forest divided by the Ken river flowing north to join the Yamuna.

Size :
209 sq miles ( 543 sq km ).

Best time to Visit :
January to May.

Pench National Park

The area is cut north-south by the pench river.Most of the park is mixed desidous forest with open meadows in someof the valleys.Most areas are accessible.Tiger, a few leopard, chital, sambar and gaur are seen.

General Information :

Location :
In the Satpura Hills due North of Nagpur.

Size :
100 sq miles ( 260 sq km ). ( The protected area continues across the border into MP where an additional 270 sq miles (700 sq km ) has Sanctuary Status.)

Best time to Visit :
November to June.

Periyar National Park

Set high in the ranges of the Western Ghats, in Kerala, is the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. The park has a picturesque lake at the heart of the sanctuary. Formed with the building of a dam in 1895, this reservoir meanders around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a perennial source of water for the local wildlife.

Herds of elephant and sambar, gaur and wild pigs wander down to the lakeside and can be observed from the launches that cruise the lake. In March and April, during the driest period here, the animals spend a lot of time near the lake and the elephants can be seen bathing and swimming in the reservoir.

A glimpse may be had even of the tiger during this season, as it comes to the water. Periyar also harbors the leopard, wild dog, barking deer and mouse deer. On the rocky outcrops along the lake, monitor lizards can be seen basking in the sun. Visitors who trek into the Park often see a python and sometimes even a king cobra. Among the unusual species found at Periyar are the flying lizard and the flying snake.

With wings of orange or yellow, the flying lizard is seen as it glides from one tree to the other. The flying snake is also brilliantly colored in yellow and black with a pattern of red rosettes. The lake attracts birds like the darter, cormorant, grey heron and ibis and they are seen perched on the snags of dead wood that dot the lake. The great Malabar hornbill and grey hornbill are often seen flapping their ponderous way between trees.

There are kingfishers, ospreys and kites as well as orioles, hill mynas, racket tailed drongos, parakeets, including the unusual blue winged parakeet and fly catchers. The liquid notes of the Malabar whistling thrush and the loud call of the hornbills are distinctive amid the normal sounds of the jungle.

Four species of primates are found at Periyar – the rare lion tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur, common langur and bonnet macaque. Though this is also the habitat of the Nilgiri tahr, this elusive goat is rarely seen. The animals are viewed from motor launches on the lake and from watchtowers. A summer palace of the former Maharaja of Travancore, set along the lake, is a hotel and a fine place to stay.

General Information :

Best Time to Visit :
October to April.

Nearest Town :
Kumily (4 km)

How to Get Here :
Air: Cochin (200 km)
Rail: Kottayam (114 km)

Ranthambore National Park

Earlier the hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Jaipur, the Park at Ranthambore was once the scene of royal hunting parties. Today, it is famous for its tigers and is one of the best places in the country to see these majestic predators in the wild.

Tigers can be spotted quit often even during the day, at their normal pursuits – hunting and taking care of their young. With the strict measures that have been taken for their accustomed to human activity and are not disturbed by it. A good time to visit is between November and April when the nature of the dry deciduous forests makes sightings common.

Ranthambore has large numbers of sambar, chital and nilgai. Sounders of boar and an occasional gazelle – the chinkara can be seen, as also the Indian hare, mongoose and monitor lizards.

The lakes and pools at the Park are where the deer congregate and where it is easiest to see the animals. Among the other local fauna are the leopard, hyena, jackal, jungle cats, sloth bear and marsh crocodile. Jacanas. painted sto-k. hiaci-. stork, and white necked stork are seen along the water bodies. Peafowl are found in abundance and other birds include Bonelli’s eagle, crested serpent eagle, the great Indian horned owl, quail, partridge, spur fowl and the paradise flycatcher.

The Park which covers an area of 392 sq. km. is set between the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges. Its deciduous forests were once a part of the magnificent jungles of Central India. The terrain is rugged and there are rocky ridges, hills and open verfteys with lakes and pools. Ranthambore’s royal past manifests itself in the picturesque ruins that dot the Park.

There are lake palaces, chhatris, old fortifications and a majestic thousand year old fort. On a height overlooking the Park. The forest rest house at the foot of the Ranthambore fort is located in the lovely Jogi Mahal. It overlooks a tank – the pretty Padam Talao, afloat with water lilies.

General Information :

Best Time to Visit :
October to June.

Nearest Town :
Sawai Madhopur (11 km)

How to Get Here :
Air: Jaipur (145 km)
Rail: Sawai Madhopur (11 km)

Sariska National Park

The picturesque Siliserh Lake lies along the edge of the Sariska Tiger Reserve and a charming hunting lodge overlooking it, is a marvelous place for visitors to stay.

The dry Deciduous forests of the ancient Aravalli range, are excellent tiger country and Sariska, was once the royal reserve of the rulers of Alwa”. Declared a sanctuary in 1955, it became a Tiger Reserve in 1979 under Project Tiger Herds of sambar, chital, nilgai and sounders of wild boar – the prey population for predators like the tiger and leopard, roam the 765.80 sq km Reserve. Other carnivores include the hyena, jungle cat, and caracal. Interestingly enough, the dhole or wild dog has been sighted in the Park only in the last few years.

The Park has hides carefully located near the water holes. These afford fine opportunities for viewing and photographing wildlife. Splendid ruins scattered in the vicinity of Sariska give it an added interest.

The Neelkanth temples (6th-13th century AD) are just 32 km. from the Park and the historic Kankwari Fort inside the Reserves is where the Emperor Aurangzeb one imprisoned his brother Dara Shikoh. Splendid palace complex built in with a ‘French’ pavilion and swimming pool, is now a hotel.

General Information :

Best Time to Visit :
October to June.

Nearest Town :
Alwar (21 km)

How to Get Here :
Air: Jaipur (108 km)
Rail: Alwar (21 km)

Sunderbans National Park

The vast swampy delta of the two Great Indian rivers, the Brahmaputra and the Ganga, extend over a vast area.

Mangrove forests, swamps and forested islands are interwoven with a network of small rivers and rivulets.

The Sunderbans National Park, covering about 1330.10 sq km, from this core of this area. This mostly estuarine mangrove forest is the habitat of nearly 200 Royal Bengal tigers.

Bangladesh lies to the east of the Park and it is estimated that the combined population of tigers in the region could well be about 400 in number. Adapting itself to the saline and watery environment, the tigers at the Park are good swimmers and practically amphibious! Traversing the mangroves by motor launch is quite an experience, for the area is completely unspoiled and very different from the more conventional wildlife park.

The estuarine crocodile is often seen along the mud banks but owing to the dense undergrowth the tiger is rarely sighted.

The Park is also noted for its conservation of the Ridley sea turtle.

General Information :

Best Time to Visit :
September to May.

Nearest Town :
Gosaba (50 km)

How to Get Here :
Air: Kolkata (Calcutta) (112 km)
Rail: Canning (48 km)