Tiger Reserves in India

Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve

Best Time to Visit: October to June

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 stok 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.

Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

Best Time to Visit: October to June

Bandhavgarh an ancient stronghold of many kings, a land with history dating back to roughly 4000 years ago. This area had many dynasties ruling over it and finds mention in the Ramayan. This park once the private game reserve of the ruling family of Rewa also holds the distinction of being the home of the last White Tiger in the wild. The park is dotted with many caves with ancient rock paintings and carvings. The majestic Bandhavgarh Fort dominates center of the park with its own history dating back thousands of years. Various temples with statues depicting incarnations of Lord Vishnu dot the fort.

Bandhavgarh has an undulating landscape with around 32 hills some with flat plateaus and overhanging cliffs. Some perennial streams and rivulets crisscross this park creating fertile vegetation on the riverbanks. The area's combination of hills, rivers and valleys, meadows and marshes has created a unique biodiversity evident in the varied luxuriant vegetation. Bandhavgarh's forests are generally of the moist deciduous forest type. The sheltered valleys are covered with moist evergreen Sal forests, while the drier slopes and plains are covered in mixed forest. Dense tracts of bamboo are scattered throughout the valleys. The Chakradhara and Rajbehra meadows are two major meadows of this park.

The chances of seeing a Tiger in Bandhavgarh is greater than in any of India's other forests. In summer's Tiger can quite often be seen at couple of major waterholes in the park like Chakradhara, Gopalpur, Jurmani and Barwanala.Other important cats in Bandhavgarh are Leopard and the jungle cat. As many as 37 species have been listed for this park including 3 types of antelopes - Blue Bull, Chinkara and the Chausingha. Deer species like Chital, Sambar, Barking Deer, 4 species of bats, 2 types of squirrels, Indian Pangolin, Indian Porcupine, Palm Civet , Rare Indian Wolf, Indian Wild Dog, Ruddy and Common Mongoose, Honey Badger, Jackal, Wild Boar, Indian Hare, Common Langur and Rhesus Macaque.

The park also has over 70 species of butterflies and around 255 species of birds. It provides ideal habitat for various species of Stork ( White-necked & lesser Adjutant), Hornbill (Malabar Pied & Common Grey), herons, cranes and birds of prey like Crested Hawk, Crested Serpant Eagle, Honey Buzzard, Shikra, Lesser Kestrel. In winter Bandhavgarh attracts large number of migratory birds such as Nakta, Lesser Whistling Teal and Ruddy Shelduck. One can also see smaller birds like Gery Tit, Baya Weaver bird, Spotted Munia, the Green and Bearded Bee-eater, flycatchers and three species of parakeet- Alexandrine, Plum Headed and Rosering.

Sariska Tiger Reserve

Best Time to Visit: October to June

Steep cliffs and narrow valleys of the Aravallis dominate the landscape of Sariska, whose forests are dry and deciduous. Within the Sariska wildlife sanctuary there are the ruins of medieval temples of Garh-Rajor, belonging to the 10th and 11th centuries. This adds to the beauty of the jungle by giving it the historic touch. A 17th century castle on a sharp hilltop at Kankwari, gives a nostalgic view of the times gone by. The area was declared a sanctuary in 1955 and became a National Park in 1979.

The Sariska Park is home to numerous carnivores and omnivores including Leopard, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, Hyena, Jackal. These prey on the species of the small kind like the Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Chausingha, Wild Boar and Langur. Sariska is also very well known for its large population of Rhesus Monkeys, which are found in large numbers around Talvriksh.The park has a rich population of migratory birds that are a treat to the eyes of the bird watchers and lovers. Birding in Sariska is always a pleasant experience as the chances of spotting these beautiful little creatures is quite frequent.

Sariska is very different from the other wildlife sanctuaries in the country. It gives its esteemed visitors a reason to love the locations.

It just doesn’t house the vast stretch of and with the living species ,but also has a historic ambience attached to it. It represents all cultures and traditions of the country. Among the historic landmarks located within the Sariska national park, includes the Kankwari. For, where, Emperor Aurangzeb once imprisoned his brother, Dara Shikoh.

Within the area of the Sariska tiger sanctuary, Neelkanth temples that date back to the 6th-13th century AD now in ruins, afford a wonderful sight to the visitors. Sariska was known as the royal reserve of the rulers of Alwar. This palace built by the Maharajas of Alwar, has now been converted
into a hotel.

Best Time to Visit Sariska Tiger Reserve is throughout the year; still the best period is during the months of October to June.

Corbett Tiger Reserve

Best Time to Visit: November to May

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.

Tiger Reserve in Pench

Pench National Park, nestling in the lower southern reaches of the Satpura hills is named after Pench river which flows from north to south through the Pench National Park. It is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh. Recently in 1992, Pench has been included under the umbrella of "Project Tiger" as the 19th Project Tiger Reserve.

A total of 758 Sq. kms of this Southern Indian tropical moist deciduous forest has its extent mingling with the tropical dry deciduous teak. The area is crisscrossed by a number of streams and 'nallahs' most of which are seasonal. Though the Pench River dries up in April end, a number of water pools locally known as 'dohs' are found which serve as water holes for the wild animals. However, the water sources are not suitably distributed, hence large area is left unutilized by the wild animals. The Pench Reservoir at the center of the park is the only major water source during the pinch period.

As a prey concentration is high along the Pench River, tiger usually inhabits this belt. Leopard though generally operates in the peripheral areas but are occasionally seen in the deep forest also. Jungle cats are commonly seen. Leopard cats, small Indian civets and palm civets are common but seen rarely.

Cheetal, Sambar, nilgai are commonly seen grazing on the open sites on roadsides and banks of river & reservoir. Jackals can be seen in search of food anywhere in the Park. Packs up to 15 of wild dog can be seen near Chhedia, Jamtara, Bodanala and Pyorthadi areas of the Reserve. Herds of gaur can be spotted near streams and bamboo patches commonly in summer months. Sloth beer occupy hilly, rocky out crops and favour mahul bel infested forest. Chnkara is present in very small numbers and is found in open areas around Turia, Telia and Dudhgaon villages.

Langoors are very common whereas the Rhesus monkeys may be seen occasionally on the fringes. Pench boasts of, more than 210 species of birds that include several migratory ones also. Commonly seen are Peafowl, Red jungle fowl, Crow pheasant, Crimson breasted barbet, Redvented bulbul, Racket tailed drongo, Magpie robin and lesser whistling teal.

Location:
The Park is situated in the Seoni District of Southern Madhya Pradesh and runs in continuation with Pench National Park in Maharashtra. It is situated 82 Kms. (2 hours of drive) and is well connected by an all weather metalloid road network to other important places in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The nearest railhead of Nagpur- Jabalpur (192 Kms.) serves as a comfortable air and railhead.

Flora:
It is blessed with forests spread in all the direction. As per the physiognomy, the forest type is southern tropical dry deciduous teak and southern tropical mixed deciduous forest with other species of shrubs, trees and climbers. Teak and its associates moyan, mahua, mokha, skiras, tendu, bija, achar, garari, aonla, ghont, baranga, amaltas, kihamali, khair, palas. Bamboo occurs sparsely, restricted to some valley.

Fauna:
The Pench National Park is very rich in fauna and a number of endangered species have made it their habitat. There are 25 tigers under this umbrella of the Park. 39 species of mammals, 13 species of reptiles, 3 species of amphibians and over 170 varieties of birds have already been listed.

Apart from mammals and other land-based wildlife, the park is also rich in bird life. According to an estimation of the wildlife authorities, the bird population in the park counts to be over 210 species like barbets, bulbul, minivets orioles, wagtails, munias, mynas, waterfowls and blue kingfishers.

Estimation of Animal Population

Seasons October to January- Cold 16* to 3* C
February to March- Cool 16* C to 26* C
April to June- 26 * to 42* C
Park Timings
The Pench National Park is open to the visitors from November 01st to June 30th each year and closed during the rainy seasons (July- Sept.).

Kanha Tiger Reserve

KANHA is the place that has been described by RUDYARD KIPLING in his great book "The Jungle Book". Located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha National Park is a tiger reserve that extends over an area of over 940 square km. A horseshoe shaped valley bounded by the spurs of the Mekal presents an interesting topography. Steep rocky escarpments along the edges offer breathtaking views of the valley. Realizing the danger on the Tiger population in the country, the Government started the "Project Tiger" at Kanha and in 1974 the area was declared a Tiger reserve. The park is also the habitat of the high ground Barasingha.

In 1930s, the Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries - Hallon and Banjar of 250kms to 300kms each. Though one of these was subsequently disbanded .The area remained a protected one until 1947. Depletion of the tiger population in the year that followed led to the area being made an absolute sanctuary in 1952.

Patient watching should reward the visitor, with a sight of Indian Fox, Sloth bear, striped hyena, Jungle cut, Leopard, Mouse Deer, Chausingha or four horned antelope, Nilgai, Ratel and Porcupine. Kanha has some 200 species of birds. Watchers should station themselves in the hills, where the mixed and bamboo forests harbor many species and in the grassy forest clearings. Water birds can be seen near the park's many rivulets and at Sarvantal, a pool that is frequented by water birds and the area in front of the museum.