Best places to spot Tigers in India

Tiger is one the most beautiful wildlife creators of India that has always pulled the attentions many national ad international wildlife photographers. For years, India has been considered the home to the tiger and today it has some of the world’s best tiger reserve parks that you must explore if you really want to capture this beautiful creator within your camera. So, if you are planning for wildlife adventure and want to see tigers in its natural habitat, here are some of the best options and tiger reserve national parks that you can or must visit at least once in your lifetime: Jim Corbett National Park – Situated very close to Nainital and Bijnore districts, Corbett National Park is one of the oldest national parks in India. Renowned for its tiger preservation, this park has always been the popular choice among wildlife tourists. Comprising of 512.8 km area and featuring marshy depressions and grasslands, this destination provides you opportunity to view tigers in its most natural habitat. In fact, the other key highlights of touring to Corbett National Park are here you can also enjoy viewing of leopards, gharials, forest cats along with long-nosed crocodiles. If you are planning to visit this park, there are lots of ways to get to the park. With a distance of 50Kms, Phoolbagh airport is the nearest airport. Though you may also reach, travelling by road, as the Corbett National Park is well connected to the nearby states as well.

Ranthambore National Park– Situated hardly at a distance of 14 kilometers from Sawai Madhopur district, Rajasthan , Ranthambore national park is yet another famous tiger reserve park and home to India’s national animal. It is one of the best places in India to view these majestic predators. Nevertheless, while visiting to this national park you may also enjoy viewing other kinds of cats found in this national park, such as – Leopard, Caracal and the Jungle Cat. However, this park is also considered as home to India’s largest antelopes, Sambhar, Chital, Chinkara and Nilgai. The best time to visit this national park is between October to March. Adding to this, the best way to reach this Ranthambore Park is by train from the Sawaimadhopur Railway station, which is just about 12 km from this park. You may even fly to the nearest Jaipur airport and then drive to Ranthambore.

Bandhavgarh National Park – Spread at the Vindhya hills in Madhya Pradesh, India, this is another national park and best known for its highest ratio of Royal Bengal Tigers. Moreover, the key feature that makes this national park different from other parks is its density of white tiger population. Apart from this, the park is also an un-spoilt national habitat for a variety of other wildlife creators such as leopard, wild boar, sloth bear and spotted dear. The most appropriate visiting season to this park is between January to April. While you can reach to this park by travelling through train, the nearest railway station to Bandhavgarh park is Katni (102 Km, Jabalpur (164 Km) and Satna (120 Km) on the central railway.

Kanha National Park – Spread almost over an area of more than 940 sq. km, the Kanha national park is situated in the Madhya Pradesh. Although best known for its tigers, the other most frequently seen animals in the park are Sambar, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Swamp Deer, Wild Boar, Jackal and Wild Dog. This park is also known for its rich vegetation that mainly comprises of Sal and Bamboo forests along with grasslands. The most ideal time to visit Kanha National Park is in the months of April to June and November to January. If you are looking forward to explore this destination, then you can easily reach here by your hiring taxi or bus as it is well connected to Jabalpur 175-kms, Nagpur 266-kms, Mukki 25-kms and Raipur 219-kms by road. Though, Jabalpur is the nearest railhead to visit the Kanha National Park. Definitely, no other place on this planet can encounter this fascinating creator in its natural habitat than India. All these reserves and national parks are well protected under Project Tiger to provide a protected and appropriate environment for the growth and survival of tigers. A visit to any of these parks will surely be a lifelong experience.

The Earth Safari Team

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The Wild Wild India

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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. Watching birds and animals in their natural habitats is an experience in itself.

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.

A paradise for the nature lovers, these forest areas are also crucial for the conversation of the endangered species like the Leopard, Lion, Asiatic Elephant, the Bengal tiger and Siberian Crane. Spread across the length and breadth of India, these reserves and forest areas, right from the Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan to the Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary in Bihar, from the foothills of Himalayas, the Jim Corbett National Park to six national parks in Andaman; the Indian Wildlife circuit is an Incredible treat, unmatched by any other experience.

Elephant, Deer, Panther, Wild buffalo, Wild ass, the one horned Rhinoceros, Porcupine, Snow leopards etc are some of the animals you can sport in The Himalayan region.

India harbours eighty percent of the entire population of the one horned rhinoceros in the world. The Kaziranga National Park is an ideal habitat for the rhino and a popular destination with the naturalists and environmentalists as well as the wildlife traveller.

The Great Indian Bustard and blackbuck of the Karera Sanctuary also attract a lot of tourists. The Madhav National Park originally called the Shivpuri National Park is another rich habitat for the wildlife in close proximity to the historical town of Gwalior and being close to a often visited cultural and heritage destination enjoys its fare share of tourism inflow. The Corbett National Park one of the most popular National Parks in the northern region for the wildlife enthusiast as well as the holiday makers is changing the way wildlife tourism. These National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are promoters of wildlife tourism in India.

India has its fair share of Tiger Reserves. 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. Amongst the best-known tiger reserves in India is the Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh. It is often referred to as the crown in the wildlife heritage of India. Tourists at Bandhavgarh can spot Royal Bengal Tigers, cheetals, leopard, gaur, sambhar, and many more faunal species. The highly successful Project Tiger has shown once again that man can only undo in small ways the loss and destruction of natural habitat due to continuous growth and expansion of the population.

Indian wildlife has its share of native birds along with the migratory birds. Several hundred species of birds can be spotted across India. The Himalayan region is well known to be the natural habitat for the Pheasant, griffon vulture and ravens. The Keoladeo Ghana National Park popularly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in the Indian state of Rajasthan, in close proximity of Delhi, is home to indigenous water birds, waterside birds, migratory water birds, land migratory birds, and domestic land species. Tourists from far and wide are attracted to the Bird Sanctuary. At the Dudhwa wildlife reserve migratory birds like Egrets, herons, storks and cormorants share space with the ducks, gees and teals. The region of Andaman is home for the rare species of birds like the Narcondum hornbill, Nicobar Pigeon and the Megapode.

The Earth Safari Team

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Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)

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Tigers are the largest members of the cat family and are renowned for their power and strength. There were eight tiger subspecies at one time, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Over the last 100 years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced tiger populations from hundreds of thousands of animals to perhaps fewer than 2,500. Tigers are hunted as trophies, and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered, and many protection programs are in place.

Royal Bengal Tigers live in India and are sometimes called Indian tigers. They are the most common tiger and number about half of all wild tigers. Over many centuries they have become an important part of Indian tradition and lore. Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful nocturnal hunters that travel many miles to find buffalo, deer, wild pigs, and other large mammals.

Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes). They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds (27 kilograms) in one night, though they usually eat less. Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do become dangerous man eaters. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in an area where their traditional prey has vanished. Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory.

The Earth Safari Team

www.theearthsafari.com