India is home to several bird & animal species covering almost 60% world’s biodiversity. Well known large mammals including the Asia Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard and Indian Rhinoceros, engrained culturally and religiously are often being associated with deities. Other well known large Indian mammals include ungulates such as the domestic Asian Water buffalo, wild Asian Water buffalo, Nilgai, Gaur and several species of deer and antelope. Some members of the dog family such as the Indian Wolf, Bengal Fox, Golden Jackal and the Dhole or Wild Dogs are also widely distributed. It is also home to the Striped Hyaena, Macaques, Langurs and Mongoose species. India also has a large variety of protected wildlife. The country’s protected wilderness consists of 96 National parks of India and 500 sanctuaries, of which 19 fall under the purview of Project Tiger. Its climatic and geographic diversity makes it the home of over 350 mammals and 1200 bird species, many of which are unique to the subcontinent.
India has unmatched variety of flora and fauna that makes it extensively different form the rest of the world. Tourists visiting for wildlife tour in India will enjoy during any season, but to experience migrating birds, tiger, leopard, barasingha and other rare species, winter is the best season to visit sanctuaries especially for those tourists coming for wildlife tour in India. Due to water scarcity in the hot weather, animals come out in herd in search of water; therefore most of the sanctuaries are closed during summer season. Tourists can opt for jungle Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India in association with other NGO partners and tribal people, is making every possible effort to develop new models of wildlife conservation to preserve India’s most treasured fauna and to protect the environment.
Some well known national wildlife sanctuaries of tourist attraction include Bharatpur, Corbett, Kanha, Kaziranga, Periyar, Ranthambore and Sariska. The world’s largest mangrove forest Sundarbans is located in southern West Bengal. The Sundarbans is UNESCO World Heritage Site.
India is unique in the richness and diversity of its vegetation and wildlife. Its national parks and wild life sanctuaries from Ladakh in Himalayas to Southern tip of Timal Nadu are outstanding. Wildlife sanctuaries in India attracts people from all over the world as the rarest of rare species are found here. Some of the important sanctuaries in India are the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve – Uttaranchal, Kanha National Park and Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Ranthambhor National Park – Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan), Gir National Park – Sasangir (Gujarat) etc. Supporting a great variety of mammals and over 585 species of birds, India’s first national park, the Corbett is situated in the foothills of Himalayas.
Wildlife lovers will be excited to see magnificent Bird Sanctuary at Bharatpur. Rajasthan, as it is the second habitat in the world that is visited by Siberian Cranes in winter, provides a vast breeding area for the native water birds.
In the India deserts, the most discussed bird is the Great Indian Bustard. In western Himalayas, one can see birds like Himalayan monal pheasant, western tragopan, koklass, white crested khalij pheasant, griffon vultures, lammergiers, choughs, ravens. In the Andaman and Nicobar region, about 250 species and sub species of birds are found, such as rare Narcondum horn bill, Nicobar pigeon and megapode.
While the national park and sanctuaries of northern and central India are better known, there are quite a few parks and sanctuaries in South India, too. For example, Madumalai in Tamil Nadu and Bandipru Tiger Reserve and Nagahole National Park in Karnataka.
A tour of Indian wildlife sanctuaries and national parks is a fabulous experience. Contrary to the African Safari, the vegetation and terrain in India is such that wild animals are often solitary or in small herds, elusive and shy. Ranges of Safari Packages are on offer, courtesy the tourism departments of sates as well as tour and travel agencies. These Safari Packages are unique and unparalleled. Safaris facilitate seeing a tiger, a rhinoceros or a herd of wild elephants.
